Marvel stars against Israel: The campaign for the release of the Palestinian terrorist

A new storm in the entertainment world: more than 20 actors who have participated in Marvel Studios films and series have joined an international campaign calling on Israel to release the Palestinian terrorist Marwan Barghouti from prison. Among the prominent names who have expressed support for the "Freedom for Marwan" campaign are Benedict Cumberbatch, known as Doctor Strange, Mark Ruffalo, who plays the Hulk, and Don Cheadle, who plays War Machine.

Ruffalo's cooperation in the campaign comes against the backdrop of a sharp confrontation that recently broke out between him and Paramount Studios, after he attacked tycoons David and Larry Ellison over a massive merger deal. The actor shared a video against the Oracle company and its assistance to the IDF, accusing it of oppression. In response, Paramount strongly condemned him and stated:

"We are troubled when antisemitic tropes are used under the guise of a business dispute. Words like 'genocide' and 'apartheid' are crossing a red line, and they trivialize real suffering."

Alongside Ruffalo, other well-known actors have joined the call, including Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Tatiana Maslany, Daniel Brühl, Ian McKellen, Hugo Weaving, and Kingsley Ben-Adir. The campaign was launched late last year by Barghouti's family and with the support of civil society organizations in the UK, and it now includes over 200 cultural figures, musicians, and directors from around the world.

The recruitment of Marvel and Hollywood stars for the convicted terrorist intensifies the public and media tension surrounding the legal and political struggle. It now remains to be seen how the growing international pressure from representatives of the entertainment industry will affect the political and public arena in Israel.