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Everything and Everyone That’s Jewish in the New Avengers Movie!

It has so many superheroes! Most of them created by Jews! Time to nerd out!

by
Gabriela Geselowitz
April 27, 2018
Courtesy Marvel Studios
Poster for 'Avengers: Infinity War'Courtesy Marvel Studios
Courtesy Marvel Studios
Poster for 'Avengers: Infinity War'Courtesy Marvel Studios

Following on the heels of mega-success Black Panther is the next, biggest-ever movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Avengers: Infinity War is out today, and the hype is unbelievable.

With the casts of several superhero franchises all converging, this movie has more characters than a daytime soap. But literally all of them have Jewish roots in some capacity. If a comics creator below is not specified as gentile, it means he (yeah, they’re all male) is Jewish.

Ant-Man (Played by Jewish actor Paul Rudd):

Scott Lang is an ex-con who wound up with a super-suit (Michael Douglas was involved) that gives him ant-related powers, particularly, shrinking.

Created by: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby

Most Jewish moment: Did we mention he’s played by Paul Rudd?

Black Panther:

T’Challa, the king of Wakanda has superpowers (and supertech) that allow him to protect his African nation, though he has recently toyed with the idea of going global with his heroics.

Created by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Most Jewish moment: T’Challa’s primary struggle is between tribalism and assimilation. He wants to join the larger world, but fears the risk it poses to his people’s identity and safety. Sound familiar?

Black Widow (played by Jewish actor Scarlett Johansson):

Natasha Romanova was raised to be an assassin in Russia, though she’s been a spy for the U.S. government for some time. Lately, she’s been more of a whistleblower type.

Created by: Stan Lee, Don Heck, Don Rico (also not Jewish)

Most Jewish moment: I mean, the lady left Russia for the U.S. That’s a pretty Jewish thing to do.

Bucky Barnes:

Captain America’s best friend from Brooklyn, Bucky went missing for decades only to emerge as a super-soldier himself, albeit not working for the Good Guys.

Created by: Joe Simon and Jack Kirby

Most Jewish moment: In service of the Russian government for awhile (as a brainwashed assassin), it looks like Bucky has finally overcome his programming for good. We have another refusenik.

Captain America:

Steve Rogers volunteered for the U.S. super-soldier program to kick butt during WWII. He spent several decades frozen in ice, but his return over the last few years has had lots of ups and downs.

Created by: Joe Simon and Jack Kirby

Most Jewish moment: For the Nazi-punching, patriotic but critical hero, it’s a tough call, but it’s hard to beat the iconic moment where he announces, “I’m just a kid from Brooklyn.”

Doctor Strange:

Stephen Strange was a neurosurgeon, but now he’s a sorcerer. You know how these things go.

Created by: Stan Lee and Steve Ditko

Most Jewish moment: How many nice Jewish boys have you met who then got caught up in some wacky religion?

Falcon:

Sam Wilson is a U.S. veteran who has a suit that lets him fly. He’s also a super cool dude.

Created by: Stan Lee and Gene Colan

Most Jewish moment: Listen, there’s nothing here that isn’t a stretch, but between running support groups for veterans, being super handsome, and having a great taste in music (he introduces Cap to the work of Marvin Gaye), if he were Jewish, he’d be the Nicest Jewish Boy ever.

Hawkeye:

Clint Barton is really good at shooting arrows.

Created by: Stan Lee and Don Heck

Most Jewish moment: Clint, like many Jews throughout history, tends to be way out of his depth.

Hulk:

Dr. Bruce Banner, after getting a bit too close to gamma radiation, now has a super-tough, super-strong alter-ego. You won’t like him when he’s angry.

Created by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Most Jewish moment: He’s a big, brooding nerd, really. An academic with anger issues who has trouble maintaining relationships? He might as well be from a Philip Roth novel.

Iron Man (Played by Robert Downey Jr., of patrilineal Jewish descent):

Tony Stark is a self-described “genius billionaire playboy philanthropist” (with super armor) though he’s grown more serious as the Marvel movies have progressed.

Created by: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck (not Jewish, it seems!), and Jack Kirby

Most Jewish moment: So many. I’m going to point you towards a fan-fiction (yes, really) that sums up all the ways Tony Stark is not only Jewishly-coded, but probably of Jewish descent.

Scarlet Witch:

Wanda Maximoff volunteered for human experimentation that gave her vaguely-defined powers… telepathy, telekensis, that sort of thing.

Created by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Most Jewish moment: In the comics, her father (Magneto) is Jewish. Because the MCU doesn’t have the rights to Magento, there goes that angle. But her (late) twin was played by Jewish actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Spider-Man:

Peter Parker does whatever a spider can.

Created by: Stan Lee and Steve Ditko (Gentile #2 on this entire list)

Most Jewish moment: For a nerdy kid from New York City, this is another tough one. But it has to be when Spider-Man has a face-off with Cap, who asks, impressed, “Where you from?”

“Queens!” squeaks Peter. (Of course, Cap smiles, and responds, “Brooklyn!”) It’s like a moment of Jewish geography.

Star-Lord:

Peter Quill was born on Earth, but has spent of his life having misadventures in outer space.

Created by: Steve Englehart and Steve Gan (neither of whom are Jewish, unique for this list!)

Most Jewish moment: Quill has a mixtape that gets him through his tribulations. It contains “Spirit in the Sky”; the famous Christian rock song was written by Jewish artist Norman Greenbaum.

Thor:

Thor is the god of Thunder.

Created by: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby

Most Jewish moment: Thor is as goyishe as they come, but his adopted brother Loki fits some tropes. Runner-up moment goes to dating, and then breaking up with a woman played by Natalie Portman.

Vision:

Vision is essentially an artificial intelligence creation of Tony Stark brought to life, with a whole slew of superpowers. Don’t worry about it too much.

Created by: Stan Lee, Roy Thomas (not Jewish), and John Buscema (not Jewish)

Most Jewish moment: He’s awfully fond of dressing in layers.

War Machine

James Rhodes is a veteran and friend of Tony Stark, who has a supersuit of his own.

Created by: David Michelinie (Jewish, so far as I can determine) and John Byrne (not Jewish)

Most Jewish moment: Honestly, same problem as Falcon here. They are both welcome to join the Tribe any time they like.

See you at the movies!

Gabriela Geselowitz is a writer and the former editor of Jewcy.com.