MOVIE NEWS – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would be the third Disney film in recent history to be banned in this country because of LGBTQ characters…

Following in the footsteps of Disney’s West Side Story and The Eternals, Marvel Studios’ upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been banned in Saudi Arabia, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the ban is in line with the fact that homosexuality is illegal in the Gulf region.

As a result, films featuring LGBTQ-only characters are often banned in some countries in the region. Although critics have yet to see Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the film features Marvel Comics character America Chavez, who is gay in the comics.

While not much is known yet about how the character of America (played in the film by Xochitl Gomez) will be portrayed in the Multiverse of Madness or how much he will resemble his comic book counterpart, it is crucial for the original comic book hero to embrace his sexual orientation proudly. It’s a refreshing and loose approach to portrayal – especially compared to his backstory, which has been rewritten many times over time and expanded with various alternate universes.

All of this doesn’t necessarily mean that America’s queerness will play a significant role in Doctor Strange’s multiverse of madness. West Side Story has only one trans character, Anybodys (Iris Menas), but she is also banned in Middle Eastern countries, despite virtually no mention of her gender or sexuality.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is due to premiere in the US on 6 May.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter