Marvel film spotlights exiled Russian singer Monetochka in Brighton Beach scene

Marvel's "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" features a ten-second clip of "Monopoly" by exiled Russian singer Monetochka during a Brighton Beach scene, marking a rare Russian-language cultural moment in the blockbuster and spotlighting an artist punished for opposing the war. The 2024 song, from her album "Prayers. Jokes. Toasts," satirizes greed and corruption with upbeat pop. Monetochka, who condemned Russia's invasion and left the country, was sentenced in absentia to one year in prison in July 2026 for violating "foreign agent" laws. The film has no official release in Russia, and the scene was removed from the Ukrainian version, creating a contradiction where her music is absent from both her home country and the nation she supported.