Criminal Showrunner and Winter Soldier Co-Creator Ed Brubaker Sued by Production Assistant

Ed Brubaker, co-creator of the Winter Soldier and the indie comics series Criminal, is being sued by a former production assistant on the Criminal TV series. Both Amazon MGM Studios and production company Big Indie Pictures are also named in the suit, which alleges that Brubaker fostered a hostile work environment that included both racial and sexual harassment.

Deadline obtained a copy of the complaint, which was filed by former PA ljaaz Noobu in the Los Angeles Superior Court. The suit consists of no fewer than 12 claims, ranging from sexual and racial harassment to assault and battery.

“This action arises from the sustained sexual, racial, national origin, and religious harassment that Plaintiff ljaaz Noobu, a Sri Lankan American filmmaker with 14 years of experience in the film industry, endured while working on the production of the forthcoming television series Criminal," the complaint reads. "Hired in February 2023 as a production assistant to showrunner and Executive Producer Ed Brubaker, Plaintiff came to the production eager to contribute his talent and technical knowledge to a marquee project. Instead, he was subjected to a workplace made toxic and abusive by the very individuals entrusted with authority over it."

The complaint goes on to list specific allegations of racial and sexual harassment, as well as accusing Brubaker of holding a functional firearm to Noobu's head and pulling the trigger. The complaint also alleges that Noobu was retaliated against and fired from production after requesting a promotion and denied credit for working on the series.

Representatives for Amazon MGM Studios and Brubaker have yet to comment on the lawsuit.

Criminal is based on the long-running Image Comics series created by Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips. Prime Video officially ordered the series in January 2024, with a cast that includes Richard Jenkins, Adria Arjona, Kadeem Hardison, and Charlie Hunnam. Filming on the series took place later that year.

Brubaker is a prolific writer whose comic book career dates back to the early '90s. He's perhaps best known for co-creating the Winter Soldier incarnation of Bucky Barnes as part of his lengthy Captain America run. In recent years, Brubaker has made the transition to Hollywood, writing for series like Westworld and Batman: Caped Crusader before becoming showrunner on Criminal.

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