Anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian activists have sought to put a damper on excitement for a new Disney version of “Snow White” this week, as they called for a boycott of the movie over Disney’s casting of Israeli actress Gal Gadot as the evil queen.
Posts on social media calling for a boycott sprang up on Monday when Disney released the first teaser trailer for the 2025 movie.
“A character that tries to kill a child and steal her kingdom. How fitting,” one user wrote.
Another user using the #FreePalestine hashtag wrote, “Make sure to BOYCOTT the Snow White movie as they have cast an Israeli terrorist Gal Gadot in the film. She is a trained killer who served in the Israeli degenerate forces. Don’t let Zionist terrorists normalize this EVER!”
Gadot, who starred in the “Wonder Woman” blockbuster movies, has publicly advocated for Israel over the years, including since Hamas’s brutal October 7 attack that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.
Meanwhile Gadot’s co-star, Snow White actress Rachel Zegler, promoted the film with a “free Palestine” tag.
He post was split into two, starting with thanking her fans: “I love you all so much! Thank you for the love and for 120m views on our trailer in just 24 hours.”
In a second post, commenting on the first, she added, “Always remember, free Palestine.”
The first part of Zegler’s post amassed about 1.2 million views and the second half 4.7 million. While many users expressed support for Zegler, others responded in support of Gadot and of Israel.
Zegler has previously been vocal in her support for the Palestinian cause. In May 2021, she posted on X, “It will always be free Palestine.” She has also posted on Instagram urging her followers to donate to Palestinian relief funds, according to BuzzFeed.
The film releases in the US on March 21, 2025.
Gadot is not the first celebrity to be targeted for being Jewish or Israeli amid the war. This year American Jewish reggae musician Matisyahu had to cancel three of his concerts in the United States due to threats of anti-Israel protests. He is not Israeli.
In December, Gadot slammed the international community for its silence over the widespread sexual assault during the October 7 attacks, and the continued holding of female hostages by the Hamas terror group in Gaza.
Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler appear at the Disney Entertainment Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, California on August 9, 2024. (Jesse Grant/ Getty Images via AFP)
In November, she reportedly organized a screening for the Hollywood community in collaboration with Israeli director Guy Nattiv of a film about the murderous atrocities committed by Hamas against Israelis on October 7.
Kal-El No: Gal Gadot’s 1 Wonder Woman Dialogue Got Viral For All the Wrong Reasons
The DCEU had a very unique look as far as cinematic universe go. Zack Snyder managed to craft a great universe that managed to not only be as dark and gritty as DC is expected to be but also managed to excite audiences for what’s to come….until it didn’t.
As soon as Zack Snyder exited the universe, the vision that the director had for the films fell apart immediately. WB onboarded Joss Whedon in hopes of recapturing the success of the Avengers, only for the film to crash and burn. However, one particular scene from the film has become notorious, one where Wonder Woman tries to stop a resurrected Kal El from retaliating against the League.
“Kal El, No!” has become a sort of meme among fans
The scene has Cyborg, who had merged with the Mother Box, accidentally shooting at a resurrected Superman, who has no memory of where he is, or who the people in front of him are. Whatever fragments he does have of his life before his death, indicate that Batman is his enemy (given the events of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice). This causes Superman to gear up to fight against the League, prompting Diana to address him with his Kryptonian name.
Now, there are several issues with this, ranging from the way Gal Gadot delivers the dialogue, the narrative point of her addressing him with her Kryptonian name, and just how effective it is. However, the scene could also be read as Wonder Woman calling out to Superman instinctually, which might explain why she resorted to calling him in such a familiar manner.
Fans are excited to see what James Gunn has in store for Wonder Woman
While James Gunn has been vocal about where fans will see Batman and Superman in the DCU, there has been no indication of where Wonder Woman will be and how she will be portrayed. We know that an actor has not been cast for the role yet, given that James Gunn wants to be authentic to the comics and cast an actress who is actually taller than David Corenswet and whoever will play Batman.
While Paradise Lost will focus on the Amazonian side of things, there is no update from Gunn yet as to how Wonder Woman will appear in the DCU. In fact, from what has been revealed to fans, Chapter One of the DCU has yet to accommodate a slew of Justice League members, including The Flash, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Cyborg, and Aquaman. However, without knowing how James Gunn is going to assemble his Justice League, it remains to be seen which projects will be crucial for his first Chapter.
