Some movies get banned due to excess violence, but would you really think that a Marvel film would get banned? Well, let's see why Marvel's newest flick won't be seen in some countries.
Marvel is known to be family-friendly, so would you really expect this film to be banned from specific countries? What could be oh so horrific that it would warrant a movie to be completely banned? Well, sure I've seen my fair share of effed up movies like 'A Serbian Film' and watching that made sense why it's banned... but seriously, a Marvel film?
What is so offensive that people shouldn't be exposed to this movie? Well, there are some things that are horrendous enough to have a whole country ban this movie from its theatres, and that's what we're going to explore right now.
Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Banned in Saudi Arabia
Yes, if you are in Saudi Arabia, you will not be able to watch this film in movie theatres. You'll have to pirate this movie. This comes from The Hollywood Reporter who explain why the film is being blocked for viewers in Saudi Arabia.
This isn't the first time the middle eastern country has blocked a movie or a show. Both 'Eternals' and 'West Side Story' were not available in Saudi Arabia because of the same reason that Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness if banned in the country, and the reason is outrageous... at least for western viewers.
But wait, guys, Saudi Arabia isn't the only film holding back. Kuwait and Qatar seem to have also stopped the sale of tickets for the newest Dr. Strange film.
Dr. Strange Banned Due to Gay Characters
Due to the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ representation in the movie, fans of the Dr. Strange series won't be able to watch this film in the movies. In the movie, Xochitl Gomez plays America Chavez, a gay character in the movie, as well as the source material.
This is likely the reason for the ban of the movie in Saudi Arabia. Fans cannot purchase advanced tickets anymore in Saudi Arabia, as well as Kuwait and Qatar. As already mentioned, the same happened to other films which had characters that are part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
West Side Story included a transgender character and the movie was banned from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait along with Saudi Arabia. Now, doesn't this make you think why we're hosting a whole Football World Cup in one of those countries that can't even handle a fictional gay or transgender character? But that's a story for another article...