Ruffalo, Cumberbatch, McKellen Among 20+ Marvel Actors Signing Appeal for Barghouti Release

More than 20 actors known for roles in Marvel films have signed an international appeal calling for the release of Marwan Barghouti, the jailed Palestinian Fatah leader, according to a report by Anadolu Agency.

The report names Mark Ruffalo, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Ian McKellen among the signatories. Anadolu describes the document as an "international appeal" but does not publish the full list of names or the text of the letter itself.

More than 20 Marvel Universe actors join campaign for release of Palestinian politician Marwan Barghouti, Anadolu Agency reported.

Barghouti, 66, has been held in Israeli custody since 2002. He was convicted by an Israeli court on charges tied to attacks during the Second Intifada and is serving multiple life sentences. He has long been regarded by many Palestinians as a leading political figure and possible successor within Fatah, and his case has repeatedly surfaced in ceasefire and prisoner-exchange negotiations between Israel and Hamas over the past two years, though Israel has so far declined to include him in released lists.

Celebrity involvement in Palestinian prisoner cases is not new, but a coordinated appeal naming Marvel-franchise actors specifically marks a distinct entry in a growing pattern of entertainment-industry figures publicly weighing in on Israeli detention policy. Ruffalo has spoken previously on Israeli-Palestinian issues and faced criticism over past comments; this appeal is a separate action from those controversies.

Occupation Watch has not independently verified the complete roster of signatories or reviewed the full appeal text, which Anadolu's report does not reproduce in detail. The claim rests on a single wire report at this stage, and the names beyond Ruffalo, Cumberbatch, and McKellen remain unconfirmed pending additional sourcing.

What is established: Barghouti remains in Israeli prison under sentences handed down over his role in Second Intifada-era violence, and calls for his release, from Palestinian officials, human rights groups, and now a bloc of Hollywood actors, continue to accumulate outside the formal negotiating channels that have so far excluded him.