There is little doubt that people can't stop talking about America Chavez after the comic book superhero finally debuted in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Not surprisingly, the world is loving Xochitl Gomez's performance as the universe-skipping teen but there are still a few netizens who are poking fun at the actor's indigenous name. All the xenophobic jokes have caused Doctor Strange 2 fans to stand up and defend Gomez on social media.
After the premiere of Doctor Strange 2, people began looking up Xochitl Gomez and were mystified by her seemingly unique first name. This has led to jokes about how Gomez's parents gave her an unpronounceable name or that she was named by Elon Musk.
However, this isn't necessarily the case. Fans have pointed out that "Xochitl" is a common Nahuatl name that means flower. In addition to that, it is a common name among young Mexican girls and is pronounced "SO-chee-tl" or "SHO-chee-tl."
Not surprisingly, fans are slamming the xenophobic jokes about Gomez, stating that people shouldn't be making fun of her name and ancestry. It was also pointed out that Gomez is a teenager and making jokes about her name would count as bullying.
For now, it is unclear if Gomez is aware of the jokes being made about her name. Hopefully, the jokes will go away soon.
Xochitl Gomez's character was recently the subject of homophobic backlash after Saudi Arabia banned the film for showing that America Chavez has two mothers. However, Gomez's co-stars were quick to defend the movie as well as the teenager. With that in mind, it's great to know that Gomez has a great support system.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is directed by Sam Raimi and also stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The film is currently screening in theaters worldwide.
Related: Doctor Strange 2: Elizabeth Olsen Says Embracing Scarlet Witch's Dark Side was 'Empowering'
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!