Marvel vows 'new approach' to Israeli movie superhero Sabra

Arutz Sheva ^ | 18/9/22 | Gary Willig

[Eleutheria5]

Marvel Studios announced it would take a "new approach" to Israeli superheroine Sabra in response to extensive criticism by anti-Israel activists following the announcement that the character would be introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the upcoming film Captain America: New World Order, played by Israeli actress Shira Haas.

“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," Marvel told Variety on Friday.

The Institute for Middle East Understanding accused Marvel of "promoting Israel’s violence against Palestinians and enabling the continued oppression of millions of Palestinians living under Israel’s authoritarian military rule" by including the Israeli superheroine.

[Sacajaweau]

The big thing in my area was trading comic books. Saved a lot of money....used to by ice cream for a nickel.

[bk1000]

“ While our characters and stories are inspired by the comics, they are always freshly imagined for the screen and today’s audience, ”

IOW, they are all gay now unless they are non-white.

[EQAndyBuzz]

I guess first thing is TTIUWP. I did see a photo of her and all I can say is she needs to eat a couple of burgers every so often. Heck, Kate Moss needs to go to Weight Watchers compared to her.

[Eleutheria5]

Not when I was six.

[Eleutheria5]

Or both.

[dennisw]

I never traded comic books but ice cream on a wood stick was 10 cents from the good humor man truck. When he came around.

[gnickgnack2]

Did you snuggle under your covers with your transistor radio, too?

[Jewbacca]

Yes and I wish I had seen the previews.

[atc23]

I never had comics unless it was Superman in the newspaper comic section. I was assigned National Geographic with a quick synopsis (hand written) of articles I had read for dads inspection before any television could be turned on Saturday or Sunday. I preferred the articles on marine biology or the Apollo or Gemini missions.

[Jewbacca]

Yeah, a 4’11” 100 lb androgenous liberal playing a 240lb Mossad who looked like a sex out, but was a bad ass orthodox mutant who (in the comics) had the back story of her family being murdered by Arab terrorists.

No thanks. I’m sure she’ll be reimagined as a crusader against Zionism.

[Eleutheria5]

Well, anyway, she was great in Shtisel.

[MikelTackNailer]

They'd be better off using a REAL Jewish super hero:

Even Zohan would do.

[Dr. Sivana]

Superman, I never was into much. He’s a cheap imitation of G-d; lots of power, but not infinite power, and no existential intimacy.

You may not be into Superman yourself, but he was the catalyst for the entire Superhero industry, certainly from a comic book perspective. He is iconic, and well-defined, and the children who grew up on Superman comic books as a fantasy figure deserve respect if they are going to make a Superman movie at all.

I NEVER liked the Marvel comics. They were downers. I respect that Marvel made Marvel comics into Marvel movies, for those who do like them.

Besides Superman and Batman, DC has marketable characters like Flash, Black Canary, Wonder Woman, Plastic Man, the real Captain Marvel, Green Lantern, Johnny Thunder, Dr. Fate, The Atom, etc. Warner either ignored them or got them wrong in essential ways.

Just to give you an example of what Warner did wrong: DC allowed time travel pretty easily by the most powerful (e.g. Superman, Flash). They could go into the past, but no matter what they tried, they could not change the past. This was crucial. Otherwise, Superman would have saved his parents, but then he wouldn't have been Superman. That was a contradiction worth avoiding. (DC comics took itself more seriously than "Back to the Future"). This rule was akin to Star Trek's Prime Directive. It was that important.

In the very first Superman movie, Superman gets mad enough at Lois' death that he manages to go back in time and stop that from happening. Mario Puzo wrote himself into a corner of a bad story and cheated to get out of it. POOF! There goes 20 years of continuity. Warner would have been better off getting comic writers Cary Bates or Len Wein to do the honors.

The current Flash series has multiverses that routinely split into different time lines. What happens? Dead people don't stay dead. Nothing is ever resolved. That's bad comic book writing, and bad sci-fi.

Batman is a different animal. Yes, he started out as the dark knight, but Robin joins in his bright red and yellow outfit shortly later, and Alfred comes on originally as a comic figure. That's why both the 1966 Adam West Batman and SOME of the later incarnations are reasonably consistent with the character. He never really stayed put.

It's hard to imagine the Christian Bale Batman being a regular member of the Justice League (Batman was also a member of the Justice Society, but rarely showed up to avoid over-exposure). Michael Keaton was a dreadful Batman. I didn't even see the nipple Batman.

Warner had decades of usable comic book material, but decided to make their own thing, with no respect for the millions who grew up on Superman and JLA comic books.

[Eleutheria5]

I would make a notable exception in Marvel for Spiderman comic book. A teenager, who is not anyone’s sidekick. And he is motivated by guilt because his thoughtlessness and selfishness got his Uncle Ben killed. And he never gets the girl. She either likes Spiderman better, or has some grudge against him connected with Spiderman, who is constantly reviled because the Daily Bugle keeps on stirring up bad publicity for him. His only fan is the BMOC Flash Thompson, who constantly picks on his alter ego, and his best friend Harry Osborne knows his secret identity but is a schizophrenic super villain who wants to kill him on his bad days. It’s got so much dramatic tension, I never tired of the comic book. The movies, however, have been taken over by computerized animation, which is a cheap replacement for story telling. I also used to dig the Fantastic Four, which is now being ignored.

I get what you’re saying about the disrespect that the movie makers are showing to Superman, just to be woke a@@-holes. If they don’t believe the American Way is compatible with Truth and Justice unless superman’s bisexual or something, let them f@#$ off and do a Scout, War Shaman movie, or Sandman and his menagerie of gay characters, or some other title more in keeping with their world view. Dark Horse has its share of interesting titles that need some exposure. Neil Gaiman and Timothy Truman are still alive and can be consulted, as opposed to the two boys who invented Superman, whose creation they’re p!ssing all over.

[HamiltonJay]

How do you deal with these idiots?

“That’s nice, but I’m going to just keep on living my life.”

[Dr. Sivana]

I thought the Toby McGuire Spiderman movies kept pretty close to the ethos (and much more than the '70s TV show). I am not big on making Aunt May physically attractive like they did later. She's an old biddy who worries about Peter and loves him, and he cares deeply for her. Overall, I only have a passing familiarity with Spidey's history, even though it's much shorter than Supes'. This does touch upon a more serious problem with long-time comic book heroes. The stories of Superman and Batman and Spiderman are modern-day versions of the ancient Greek and Roman heroes, and changes come with trepidation. But, if you keep the heroes in the present day, aspects of the story may become anachronistic. For instance, Clark Kent sought work with the Daily Planet to get access to teletypes and breaking news, so he would know where trouble was brewing as Superman. That's kind of silly now, as newspapers are rarely first to the party these days. An attempt in the '70s to move Superman from the Daily Planet to the anchor desk at WGBS (an obvious rip-off of WCBS channel 2 in NYC) failed miserably. Having Lana Lang join him on set was getting too silly even for DC comics (boy can Smallville crank them out).

Superman and Batman also ran into an unavoidable development issue: WWII. The original Superman was very much a vigilante, who acted alone and intervened in ways that the law couldn't. He would scare the crap out of bad guys and beat them up but would never put himself in position to have to testify in a trial as a witness. WWII made it untenable for children's comics to highlight crime fighters who weren't 100% with the government at any level. Even Marvel/Timely's Submariner was more cooperative. By the time Spiderman comes along, and the rest of the Silver Age Marvel heroes, WWII was well within the rearview mirror, and it was safe again to have a more complex relationship with government and law enforcement.

If I were to make a Superman movie, I would be tempted to make one that covers the pre-WWII years, when Superman was not quite invulnerable, could only jump really far, and not fly, and could outrun a fast train but nothing more. No heat vison, freeze breath, super-ventriloquism, ability to stop his heart, etc.

It being 1938, no one would be woke, either.

[jmacusa]

I was always a DC fan. “Sgt. Rock’’, “The Haunted Tank’’.

I liked the art work of Joe Kubert and I thought Russ Heath was the best comic book illustrator ever. Wish someone would do a movie about either of these two WW2 characters.

[Eleutheria5]

“Overall, I only have a passing familiarity with Spidey’s history, even though it’s much shorter than Supes’.”

But Spiderman and Marvel generally had more history than DC titles. Superman has more of a framing mechanism than a history. He’s always courting Lois Lane but never gets to second base. He’s best pals with Jimmy Olsen, and for a while they had a falling out, but then got back together. Ma and Pa Kent always have their farm and general store.

In contrast, Spiderman goes through multiple girl friends and eventually marries Mary Jane Watson. His erstwhile nemesis Flash Thompson goes off to Vietnam and when he comes back they become friends. He’s close to a Vietnamese girl, but they break up. One of Peter’s professors becomes a super villain and also clones a lot. Harry Osborn becomes psychotic and then gets better. His Dad dies ignobly after killing Gwen Stacy. There’s movement in Fantastic Four, too. Richard Reed marries Susan Storm and then they have a kid but separate. Then I stop buying comics ‘cause they’re too expensive. Used to be 10 cents.

[Eleutheria5]

Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos was the WW II Marvel title. Looking back at it, it was pretty stupid and more than a little offensive, but it was an early attempt at multiculturalism. They had a southerner, an Irishman, an Indian, a black man, an Englishman armed with nothing but an umbrella, and some super tough guy who never runs out of cigars, even at the front, all getting along while fighting evil Nazis, beating them easily every time and never suffering any KIAs or horrific injuries. War is fun. Enlist today.

[Dr. Sivana]

He’s always courting Lois Lane but never gets to second base. [ . . . ] In contrast, Spiderman goes through multiple girl friends

As far as 2nd base is concerned, there was a Comics Code Authority.

As far as girlfriends are concerned, besides Lois Lane and Lana Lang (goes back to Superboy!), there is Lori LeMaris. He would have even married Super Girl if she weren't his cousin (Kryptonian religion, despite being some sort of of Methodist Christian at the same time). Superman is generally vulnerable to the wiles of women with initials L.L. (not kidding, it is an explicitly acknowledged thing). Maybe that has to do with his last name being "El" (Kal-El).

The Weisinger Era of Superman is filled with history. He feeds his angst by going back to Krypton and meeting his parents as a grown man before he was born. All sorts of devices and magic to explore "what if" scenarios, not to mention a DC original "Imaginary Stories" (Marvel's version is the "What If" series).