Egyptian-born comic Bassem Youssef claims he misplaced a job in James Gunn‘s Superman Legacy film on account of his public help of Palestine, nevertheless, a supply near manufacturing 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. Nonetheless, by the point Gunn turned in his closing capturing strike submit writers’ strike ending in late September, that function was minimize. This was all earlier than the tragic occasions of Oct. 7, 2023. Therefore per the Superman Legacy manufacturing supply — no official ask was made to Youssef. On condition 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.
Throughout an Oct. 17 look on Piers Morgan: Uncensored, Youssef slammed Israel saying, “They mentioned Israel is the one army drive on the planet that warns civilians earlier than bombing them.”
He added, “How f*cking cute! That’s so good of them as a result of with this logic, if Russian troops began warning Ukrainians earlier than bombing their homes, we’re cool with Putin, proper?”
In a latest interview with Salon this week, Youssef mentioned he believed these feedback spurred his dropping a job in Superman: Legacy function because of the Piers Morgan interview.
“Due to that, I used to be forged within the film, Superman, after which they instructed me, ‘We modified the script,’ after this Piers Morgan interview. I wish to assume good religion. I wish to know, I wish to consider that that is true.”
He added, “I used to be slightly bit bitter, and I needed to go, I used to be like, ‘Oh, screw DC, screw Warner Bros.’ However then I perceive, I perceive the emotional burden that these individuals have. I imply, these individuals have a reference to Israel.”
He continued, “I perceive possibly the people who find themselves in cost, that took the choice, checked out me and didn’t wish to have me. And possibly I perceive. If I’m an Arab Muslim, I used to be the pinnacle of Warner Bros., I wouldn’t like a pro-Zionist or a pro-Israel to be in my film if he attacked my individuals. I perceive. That is the factor that we have to dissect: after I assault Israel, I assault its coverage, I’m not attacking Jewish individuals.”
One other supply near the scenario believes that maybe it is a case of “He said-he mentioned;” we’re instructed Youssef feels strongly that his public political views bought him nixed from manufacturing.
