Hollywood
Marvel Studios 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' Banned in Saudi Arabia
Mumbai, April 23 - Marvel Studios' upcoming highly-anticipated "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" has been banned in Saudi Arabia, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It has also been banned in Egypt and Kuwait, which hasn't been confirmed yet. ## According to reports, the decision of banning "Doctor Strange 2" in the Middle East" nation is associated with its LGBTQ issues, as it is introducing the character America Chavez (played by Xochitl Gomez) who, as per her portrayal in the comics, is gay. The movie, however, has not been released yet and no one has reviewed it yet. ## The follow-up to the hit 2016 superhero film starring Benedict Cumberbatch was due to be released across the Gulf on May 5 as part of its global rollout. However, it was always going to be a daunting task to release the film in the Middle East as homosexuality is officially illegal across the Gulf, films that feature any LGBTQ references or issues often fail to get past censors.## Earlier, Marvel Studios' "Eternals" by director Chloé Zhao, was also banned in some of the Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia because of the inclusion of a same-gender couple in the film and the MCU's first gay superhero. The movie, however, was released in the UAE with an edited version. ## Directed by Sam Raimi, "Doctor Strange" is set after the events of "Spider-Man: No Way Home". In the film, Strange and his allies travel into the multiverse to face a mysterious new adversary. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, alongside Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Rachel McAdams.## In India, the movie will be released on May 6, in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. The advance booking for the same has already been opened. ## Stay tuned...
