Superman: Legacy marks the beginning of the new DC Universe under James Gunn’s direction. It aims to refresh and reimagine Superman, offering fans an exciting new version of the character.
New updates about the film continue to emerge. Recently, sources related to Superman: Legacy have disputed Bassem Youssef’s claim.
The Egyptian comedian known for his witty humor and satire said he lost a role in James Gunn’s movie because of comments critical of Israel.
James Gunn Responds to Bassem Youssef’s Superman: Legacy Role Controversy
The Egyptian-born comedian said he was in talks for a role in a DC Studios movie, but his part was cut due to script changes.
Bassem Youssef found out about the changes after his interview with Piers Morgan in Piers Morgan: Uncensored went viral, where he criticized Israel during its conflict with Hamas. He told Salon:
“In the United States of America, you can talk about Joe Biden, you can talk about Donald Trump, but you cannot criticize a foreign government which is kind of, like, very sad, you know? And then because of that, I was cast in the movie Superman, and then they told me, ‘We changed the script’ after this Piers Morgan interview, and I want to assume good faith.”
James Gunn, director of Superman: Legacy, confirmed his firing by sharing an IGN article that said the same thing on X. Gunn wrote, “This is accurate.”
This is accurate. https://t.co/oXc23gvq0E
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) February 16, 2024
Gunn and Youssef talked about the role before the writers’ strike in May. But the character got cut from the final script after the labor dispute ended in late September, before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
Sources said (via Variety) that Youssef was never formally offered the role because the actor’s strike was still happening when the character got cut in September.
As per Comic Book, it appears he was going to play a small role as a DC Comics character named Rumaan Harjavti, but they took him out because they were thinking about the movie’s length.
Bassem Youssef Understands Film Role Axing Amid Israel Critique
Bassem Youssef found out soon after that his part in the upcoming David Corenswet starrer film got axed. In the same interview with Salon, the 49-year-old said that he understood why some execs might not like his comments. The comedian went on to say:
“I understand maybe the people who are, you know, in charge, they took the decision, looked at me and didn’t want to have me and maybe I understand. If I’m Arab Muslim, I was the head of Warner Bros., I wouldn’t like a pro-zionist or pro-Isreal to be in my movie if he attacked my people.”
But he clarified by saying that, “when I attack Israel, I attack its policy, I’m not attacking Jewish people.”
Superman: Legacy is set to release in theatres on 11 July, 2025.
