Hollywood stars rally behind convicted Palestinian terrorist Marwan Barghouti

More than 200 Hollywood personalities, including over 20 actors from the globally popular Marvel Cinematic Universe, have signed a petition demanding that Israel release convicted Palestinian terrorist Marwan Barghouti.

Among the high-profile names backing the petition are Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Doctor Strange in the MCU films; Mark Ruffalo, who plays the Hulk; and Ian McKellen, who plays Magneto.

The petition was compiled by the group "freemarwannow" as part of a campaign launched by Barghouti’s family toward the end of 2025 in partnership with several anti-Israel organizations based in Great Britain.

The organizations behind the campaign said they “express our grave concern at the continuing imprisonment of Marwan Barghouti, his violent mistreatment, and denial of legal rights whilst imprisoned. We call upon the United Nations and the Governments of the World to actively seek the release of Marwan Barghouti from Israeli prison.”

The involvement of prominent Hollywood figures has drawn criticism from some fans who question why celebrities are taking public positions on a complex political and security issue.

Jason P., a Jerusalem resident who described himself as a “huge fan” of the MCU movies released over the past several years, said he did not understand why cultural figures felt the need to “shoot their mouths off” about political issues that they so clearly did not understand or maybe even didn’t know anything whatsoever about.

“These people are so clueless, and they’re just letting themselves be used,” he lamented. “Dr. Strange is one of the best characters in the entire MCU but he’s not REAL! It’s a movie! The guy who plays Dr. Strange is just an actor reciting lines and following directions. He doesn’t even write the scripts for the movies, he just recites the lines that other people wrote. He probably doesn’t have a single thought in his brain that wasn’t put there by someone else. Why should anyone care what he thinks about stuff going on in the real world”?

At the same time, celebrity endorsements can attract significant public attention because of the enormous audiences commanded by some Hollywood stars. Robert Downey Jr., who portrayed Iron Man in the MCU movies for many years and is now set to play Dr. Doom in the latest movie, has tens of millions of followers on social media.

It is unclear whether the Hollywood stars who signed the petition demanding Barghouti’s release are aware of the charges for which he was convicted or of his role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before his arrest and imprisonment.

Barghouti was a leader in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a terrorist organization that carried out dozens of attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians during the Second Intifada, which lasted from 2000 to approximately 2004.

According to Israeli security services, Barghouti was personally involved in several murders of Israelis as well as Palestinians during this period. He was convicted in 2004 on five counts of murder and one count of attempted murder and sentenced to five life sentences plus 40 years.

Despite his imprisonment in Israel, Barghouti has remained a prominent figure in Palestinian politics and is widely regarded by supporters as a potential successor to Yasser Arafat. He has also been compared to South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela.

Polls of Palestinian voters have repeatedly shown significant support for Barghouti, including indications that he could be a leading contender in a potential election for president of the Palestinian Authority.