Captain America 4: Who Is Sabra? Marvel Controversy Explained
It's hard to say if the world is ready for a new Captain America movie, but it's on its way regardless. Off the back of his first appearance as the new Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Solider, Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson will be the hero of Captain America 4, aka Captain America: New World Order.
Incoming director Julius Onah is pushing the Captain America trilogy into a quadrilogy - even without Chris Evans' Steve Rogers in tow. Casting is underway, and as more characters join the team, one is causing an uproar. But who exactly is Sabra and why are fans up in arms about her introduction? Here's everything we know about Sabra, in and out of Marvel Comics omics.
Who Is Sabra In Marvel?
Click to enlargeSabra is the alter-ego of the Israeli superhero Ruth Bat-Seraph, who is a mutant working for the Israeli secret service called the Mossad. She had a cameo in Incredible Hulk #250 back in 1980, then made her full appearance a year later as she battled She-Hulk and Captain Britain.
Ruth was raised on a kibbutz run by the Israeli government after her powers came to fruition, afterwards becoming a government agent. One particularly poignant story for the character saw her son killed in a terrorist attack, leaving her to disobey orders in hopes of bringing his killers to justice.
Sabra's abilities take many different forms, and in one conflict with Hulk, Sabra temporarily robbed him of his voice in a bid to make him seem like a real monster without any communication skills. She also has superhuman abilities like enhanced strength, speed, agility, reflexes and stamina, with her resistance amounting to enough to literally stop bullets.
Her appearance in Captain America: New World Order has been controversial, as Sabra's name means different things to the conflicting Israeli and Palestinian people. Her character in the comics has been seen attacking offensive Arab stereotypes, while she also fails to have any compassion for the death of a Palestinian boy in her 1981 appearance until the Hulk teaches her to care. For many, Sabra represents a glorification of the police and the Israeli Army in Captain America 4.
Who Plays Sabra In Captain America 4?
Click to enlargeSabra will be making her MCU debut in Captain America: New World Order in the form of Emmy-winning actress Shira Haas. You might recognise Haas for her appearances in Shtisel and Unorthodox. Marvel has now made a statement, too, insisting that Sabra appearing in Captain America 4 and the MCU will be altered to move on from her outdated comic appearances.
"While our characters and stories are inspired by the comics, they are always freshly imagined for the screen and today's audience, and the filmmakers are taking a new approach with the character Sabra who was first introduced in the comics over 40 years ago," reads the statement issued to The New York Times.
What Is The Captain America 4 Release Date?
Click to enlargeIt's going to be some time before we see exactly what will come of Sabra, as Captain America: New World Order is only on the horizon. The film is currently set to release on May 3 2024, and knowing the Marvel slate, it could yet change - but in the meantime, we'll get excited for then.
Before we get to Captain America 4, Phase 4 of the MCU will be rounded off by Black Panther: Wakanda Forever later this year. Diving into Phase 5, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania kicks things off, while other outings including Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, and the Blade reboot are all on the docket before Sam Wilson will be spreading his wings once more.
