James Gunn says Bassem Youssef’s role in ‘Superman’ film was cut before pro-Palestine remarks

Renowned filmmaker and head of DC Studios, James Gunn, has responded to Egyptian-American comedian Bassem Youssef's claims that he lost a role in the upcoming film Superman: Legacy due to comments made about Israel’s aggression in Gaza.

Taking to social media on Friday, Gunn reshared an IGN article reporting that Youssef's potential role as dictator Rumaan Harjavti was written out of the superhero movie before Youssef's widely discussed Piers Morgan interview in October. "This is accurate," Gunn confirmed in the caption.

In a subsequent post, Gunn clarified that he had discussed the situation with Youssef, stating, "There isn't one word against another. (Bassem) and I talked, and we're good. I understand how he thought things might be (which he was clear about in his interview), and I told him the whole story."

Youssef, in an interview with Salon, claimed that his criticism of Israel during the Piers Morgan Uncensored interview cost him the role in Superman: Legacy. He expressed disappointment, stating, "I was a little bit bitter about losing the role, and I was kind of very sad… In the United States of America, you can talk about Joe Biden, you can talk about Donald Trump, but you cannot criticise a foreign government, which is kind of, like, very sad, you know?"

Superman: Legacy is scheduled to launch the new DC Universe on July 11, 2025. The controversy surrounding Youssef's alleged dismissal from the film sheds light on the complexities of balancing artistic expression with political sensitivities in the entertainment industry. 

In November, last year, Scream VI star, Melissa Barrera was fired from the seventh installment of the horror franchise for her vocal stance in the Palestinian favour, reported Variety. 

The Mexican star was let go from the project because her social media comments, as per the film's production company, Spyglass, were read as antisemitic. “Spyglass’ stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech,” the statement read.

Christopher Landon, who was set to helm the seventh Scream film, also shared on X Tuesday night following the news of Barrera’s ousting from the movie. “This is my statement: Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make," he wrote in a now-deleted post. 

As per Al Jazeera, the Health Ministry in Gaza has reported that the death toll in the Gaza conflict has now exceeded 29,000, with a worsening humanitarian situation.

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