Amid the hype surrounding the release of the first Captain America: Brave New World trailer, Marvel Studios quietly confirmed some key details surrounding the inclusion of a controversial character from the comics. An official story posted on Marvel.com contained the following info about Ruth Bat-Seraph, whose inclusion in the MCU was previously confirmed back in 2022.
New to the cast is Shira Haas, who joins as Ruth Bat-Seraph. A former Black Widow, Ruth is now a high-ranking U.S.
government official who has the trust of President Ross. Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, and Xosha Roquemore also star. The new info confirms some significant changes from the comics, where Ruth is a mutant named Sabra, an Israeli superhero and an agent of Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency.
The character has long been controversial owing to her connection to the Israel-Palestine conflict — a controversy that has taken on even greater significance recently due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Ruth is played by Israeli actress Shira Haas, who was first cast in the role in 2022. She has previously appeared in movies including Asia and The Zookeeper's Wife, as well as the Netflix series Bodies.
When Marvel confirmed the casting back in 2022, a representative told Variety in a statement, "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 fir.
