In an Oct. 2023 interview with British journalist Piers Morgan, Bassem Youssef criticized Israeli policy regarding the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the Egyptian actor and comedian later said he may have been cut from James Gunn’s upcoming Superman: Legacy because of what he said.
Youssef’s removal from the film came amid several high-profile cast changes in Hollywood, rumored to be linked to certain actors and actresses’ Palestinian advocacy. But from the beginning, those close to the DC project have said that Youssef’s role was removed before the viral Morgan interview.
In mid-Feb., 2024, however, Youssef doubled down on his claim that he was fired from the film for criticizing the Israeli government, speaking with Salon, eliciting an X response from Superman: Legacy director James Gunn days later.
The Youssef Salon interview
In that Salon interview, Bassem Youssef said, “In the United States of America, you can talk about Joe Biden, you can talk about Trump, but you can’t criticize a foreign government,” which Youssef found sad. “I was cast in the new movie Superman. They told me they changed the script,” he added. “I want to believe this is true.”
According to Youssef, he understood the emotional connection those involved in the movie had with Israel and why they might want to fire him based on what he said. But when he criticized Israel, he was criticizing Israeli policy, not Israelis, he added.
Gunn confirmed Youssef’s role was cut before the Piers Morgan interview
To perhaps settle the controversy, Superman: Legacy director James Gunn shared an IGN article on X on Feb. 16, 2024, about how Bassem Youssef’s role was removed before the Piers Morgan comments, captioned, “This is accurate.” The IGN article cites an unnamed source close to the production that told the outlet it’s true.
The article also adds that Gunn and Youssef were in talks for Youssef to take the role of Rumaan Harjavti. The part was never officially offered to the Egyptian actor, and the decision to change directions was made in September 2023, about a month before the Oct 7 Hamas attack, and before the Youssef-Morgan interview.
Gunn has worked with other Pro-Palestinian actors
Supporting James Gunn’s position that Bassem Youssef was not fired because of his comments on Palestine, Gunn has worked with other actors and actresses who have expressed support for Palestine, including Milly Alcock, confirmed to be cast as Supergirl, and rumored to debut in the role in Superman: Legacy. And as another X post points out, Gunn liked a pro-Palestinian post by actress Viola Davis.
The Israel-Hamas conflict will remain divisive, and it may never be resolved in the minds of many whether Youssef was indeed fired for his views. But, as Youssef points out in his Salon interview, if it did happen because of what he said about Palestine to Piers Morgan, it was likely the decision of Warner Brothers executives and not Gunn himself, who has openly stated he doesn’t care about actor’s politics.
Superman: Legacy is expected in theaters in July, 2025.
