Marvel's Doctor Strange Sequel Banned in Saudi Arabia over Inclusion of Gay Character
The latest Marvel-Disney superhero movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, will not be released in Saudi Arabia, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed on Friday.
The apparent ban was due to the inclusion of a gay character in the movie, the Reporter said citing “Middle East sources.”
The new movie, a sequel to 2016’s Doctor Strange, was initially scheduled for release on May 5 in the Gulf states. In addition to Saudi Arabia, advance tickets for the movie are not available in Qatar or Kuwait, although they are still available in the United Arab Emirates.
Movies that feature LGBT references can be banned by the Saudi censors, the Reporter noted, and the new Doctor Strange features a lesbian character, America Chavez. Gay relationships are illegal in Saudi Arabia.
The ban comes after Marvel’s Eternals was not released as planned in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, or Kuwait in November 2021. The ban was imposed because of the inclusion of a same-sex couple in the movie, the Reporter and Variety said at the time.
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/marvels-doctor-strange-sequel-banned-in-saudi-arabia-over-inclusion-of-gay-character/
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I think China has either banned it or had it edited, and so has another county. This happens with most movies that have a queer character in it. Russia, Hungary, and a few other European countries have done this in the recent past, as well. BUt, it's OK, it is just "gay erasure", so no big.
