Egyptian-born comic Bassem Youssef claims he misplaced a job in James Gunn‘s Superman Legacy movie due to his public support of Palestine, however, a source close to production tells Deadline, that’s not the case: Youssef was by no means previously supplied the function.
We hear that Youssef taped an audition pre-actors strike for the function of Rumaan Harjadi. However, by the point Gunn turned in his closing capturing strike publish writers’ strike ending in late September, that function was minimize. This was all earlier than the tragic occasions of Oct. 7, 2023. Hence per the Superman Legacy manufacturing supply — no official ask was made to Youssef. Given that the actors strike was nonetheless ongoing in late September, and didn’t finish till early November, no communication about Youssef acquiring or not acquiring the function would have been communicated to him.
During an Oct. 17 look on Piers Morgan: Uncensored, Youssef slammed Israel saying, “They said Israel is the only military force in the world that warns civilians before bombing them.”
He added, “How f*cking cute! That is so nice of them because with this logic, if Russian troops started warning Ukrainians before bombing their houses, we’re cool with Putin, right?”
In a latest interview with Salon this week, Youssef mentioned he believed these feedback spurred his shedding a job in Superman: Legacy function because of the Piers Morgan interview.
“Because of that, I was cast in the movie, Superman, and then they told me, ‘We changed the script,’ after this Piers Morgan interview. I want to assume good faith. I want to know, I want to believe that this is true.”
He added, “I was a little bit bitter, and I wanted to go, I was like, ‘Oh, screw DC, screw Warner Bros.’ But then I understand, I understand the emotional burden that those people have. I mean, those people have a connection with Israel.”
He continued, “I understand maybe the people who are in charge, that took the decision, looked at me and didn’t want to have me. And maybe I understand. If I’m an Arab Muslim, I was the head of Warner Bros., I wouldn’t like a pro-Zionist or a pro-Israel to be in my movie if he attacked my people. I understand. This is the thing that we need to dissect: when I attack Israel, I attack its policy, I’m not attacking Jewish people.”
Another supply near the scenario believes that maybe it is a case of “He said-he said;” we’re instructed Youssef feels strongly that his public political views acquired him nixed from manufacturing.