China has always been considered an important territory for major film franchises as it would normally attract huge box office turnouts for studios. However, Disney hasn't had much luck with its Chinese audience in recent months after two of its films — Pixar's Lightyear and Marvel Studios' Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness were banned in the country.
Now, another Marvel Cinematic Universe offering has suffered the same unfortunate fate as Taika Waititi's Thor: Love and Thunder reportedly wasn't released in China as well, continuing Disney's streak.
According to a scoop from The Hollywood Reporter, the Chris Hemsworth-led flick was banned due to its LGBTQ theme which isn't all that surprising considering Lightyear and Multiverse of Madness were also blocked in Chinese theaters over the same reason.
The outlet reports: "Thor 4 is similarly believed to be stuck in China’s censorship process because of some brief LGBTQ moments, including suggestions that the character Valkyrie (played by Tessa Thompson) is bisexual and that the character Korg is gay."
Also Read: Taika Waititi Draws Major Flak for Making Fun of Thor: Love and Thunder VFX Crew
Despite the unfortunate ban, Thor 4 is still performing well at the worldwide box office and according to the latest stats, the film is nearing $500 million globally. Of course, it can't be denied that the China ban hurt its potential to cross Avengers: Endgame numbers but it is what it is.
Thor: Love and Thunder is still screening in cinemas. Meanwhile, the film is hitting Disney+ on August 22.
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