Comedian and TV host Bassem Youssef said earlier this week that he believes he was removed from the new Superman: Legacy movie because of comments he made about the Gaza conflict, specifically in an interview with Piers Morgan that went viral in October. He talked about it at Salon and became a hot topic.
However, a source close to the production disputes Youssef’s timeline, telling IGN that his character was dropped from Superman: Legacy well before Piers Morgan’s interview.
In an interview with Salon, interviewer Dean Obeidallah told Yousef, “You’ve been very outspoken on behalf of Palestinian humanity, but you lost out on roles in the new Superman movie and several other projects.” ” he said.
“In the United States,” Yousef says, “you can talk about Joe Biden, you can talk about Donald Trump, but you can’t criticize a foreign government, which is so sad. I was cast in “Superman,” but after this interview with Piers Morgan, they said, “They changed the script,” so I would like to respond in good faith.”
“I understand that maybe the people in charge made the decision and looked at me and didn’t want to accept me. Maybe I understand,” he continues. “If I’m an Arab Muslim, I was the president of Warner Bros., so if pro-Zionists or pro-Israel attacks my people, I don’t want them in my movies. That’s what we need to do.”: When I attack Israel, I am attacking its policies. It’s not an attack on Jews. ”
According to our sources, writer/director James Gunn was actually in talks with Youssef to play the role of Rumaan Harjavti. However, by at least September, prior to Morgan’s interview, the character was completely removed from the script. So, sources say Youssef was never offered the role in the first place, and the issue certainly comes down to a change in the script and a complete cut of the character.
After the report was published, Gunn shared it on his X/Twitter and Threads accounts, confirming that “this is accurate.”
This is accurate. https://t.co/oXc23gvq0E
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) February 16, 2024
Superman: Legacy is currently scheduled for release on July 11, 2025, a release date that has remained unchanged despite last year’s writers’ and actors’ strike. David Corenswet will play the Man of Steel, Rachel Brosnahan will play Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult will play Lex Luthor. Millie Alcock was also recently cast as Supergirl in the DCU, but it’s unclear whether she will appear in Superman: Legacy.
Alex Steadman is IGN’s senior news editor and oversees entertainment coverage. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.