Criminal Showrunner and Winter Soldier Co-Creator Ed Brubaker Sued by Production Assistant
Ed Brubaker, co-creator of Marvel’s Winter Soldier character and the indie comic series Criminal, faces a lawsuit filed by Ijaaz Noobu, a former production assistant on the Criminal television adaptation for Amazon MGM Studios. The complaint, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, names Brubaker, Amazon MGM Studios, and production company Big Indie Pictures as defendants.
The suit contains at least 12 claims alleging sustained sexual, racial, national origin, and religious harassment in the workplace. The allegations extend beyond harassment to include assault and battery charges. According to court documents obtained by entertainment industry outlets, the complaint details a hostile work environment experienced during production of the Criminal series.
This lawsuit adds to ongoing scrutiny of workplace conduct in entertainment production, highlighting issues around protection and accountability for production assistants—often entry-level positions with limited resources to address harassment. The case involves multiple named defendants, suggesting systemic concerns across the production hierarchy and studio infrastructure.
Brubaker is best known for co-creating the Winter Soldier character with artist Steve Epting, which became a central figure in Marvel’s cinematic universe. He is also recognized for Criminal, a critically acclaimed indie comics series that explored noir storytelling. The Criminal television adaptation represented a significant project bringing his work to streaming audiences.