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Marvel movies are by design meant to appeal to the widest possible audience. They aim to rake in tons of dollars while exciting people about all the other Marvel projects that are inevitably planned for months and years ahead. And while the studio’s not always controversy-free, it obviously does its best to avoid scandal—even when it decides to include an potentially controversial character in one of its tentpole releases.
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Captain America: Brave New World producer Nate Moore aimed to get ahead of any concerns about Ruth Bat-Seraph, aka Sabra. She’s portrayed in Brave New World by Israeli actress Shira Haas, and in the comics, the character is a mutant who also happens to be a Mossad agent. As EW notes, in the movie she’s described as being “a high-ranking U.S. government official,” in keeping with Marvel’s plan to take “a new approach” to the character. Given the current political climate, that may not be something audience members—no matter their personal beliefs—will be thrilled to see mixed into their MCU popcorn fare.
As Brave New World‘s release approaches, it’s something fans have continued to discuss, and the film’s creators are well aware of that. Speaking to EW, Moore explained that the changes that were made to Ruth are “not to the extent of what was reported online or what was guessed online.”
He then teased a bit more about what to expect from the character in the new film. She’s indeed working security for Harrison Ford’s President Ross, as the film’s marketing clearly shows; her backstory however is that she’s a Black Widow agent, a framework MCU fans are well familiar with. “One of the things I think is really cool about the Black Widow film is suggesting that the Red Room was more than just a Russian state apparatus, that it was international,” Moore explained. “But Ruth’s point of view in the movie is really cool because it’s no secret she works for the U.S. government and she’s working with Thaddeus Ross. I think what’s interesting in the dynamic is Ruth and Sam [Wilson, aka Captain America, played by Anthony Mackie] have a very different perspective on who Thaddeus Ross is and whether or not he is a worthy president. And I think that’s going to put Sam and Ruth on a bit of a collision course in an interesting way.”
Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters February 14.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
