Aside from two MCU veterans Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange and Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will also be the debut of America Chavez, starring Xochitl Gomez. Aside from being a new addition to the expanding roster of young superheroes, recent headlines claim that the character will also be a representation of the LGBTQIA+ community, as the character is openly gay in its source material.
In Marvel Comics, America Chavez is openly gay, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will also highlight Chavez's sexuality as the first gay character in the MCU.
Unfortunately, the Doctor Strange sequel was banned in several countries following the inclusion of a gay character and LGBTQIA+ themes, and MCU newcomer Xochitl Gomez finds herself in the middle of the controversy. More recently, reports claim that Saudi Arabia won't be screening the MCU film due to its LGBTQIA+ themes.
A new report by The Guardian reveals that Saudi Arabia asked Disney to cut LGBTQ references from the film before it can be screened in the country. An official particularly asked to cut a 12-seconds scene where America Chavez is talking about her 'two moms.'
According to Saudi Arabia’s general supervisor of cinema classification Nawaf Alsabhan, “It’s just her talking about her moms, because she has two moms,” Alsabhan said. “And being in the Middle East, it’s very tough to pass something like this.”
Alsabhan added, “We sent it to the distributor, and the distributor sent it to Disney, and Disney has told us they are not willing.”
Alsabhan also denies that the film had been banned outright.
Speaking to Agence France-Presse, “It will never be banned,” he said. “There’s no reason to ban the film. It’s a simple edit ... So far they have refused. But we haven’t closed the door. We’re still trying.”
Who could have known that 12-seconds footage could cause this much controversy? However, this is not the first time that Marvel and Disney found themselves at odds with international governments.
Last year, prior to Eternal's release, it was revealed that one of the characters would be part of a gay relationship, causing the film to be banned in several countries.
And while Saudi Arabia is going an extra mile in getting an edited version of the upcoming MCU film rather than banning it, it wouldn't be surprising at all if Saudi Arabia would issue a full-on ban as Disney doesn't show any interest to edit out any gay references from the film.
Lastly, the origins and backstory of a new MCU character are very pivotal, as that is usually where the character drew their motivation as an MCU character. Cutting out some scenes that discuss America Chavez's history might confuse the viewers.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will hit the big screens on May 4.
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