Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Banned in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and Kuwait for LGBTQ Representation

Marvel’s biggest blockbuster of 2022 in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will very likely face the axe from some Middle East box offices for its LGBTQ representation.

So far, it seems like Middle East countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Kuwait will ban the movie from playing in theatres, as it features a gay character in America Chavez, who is played by Xochitl Gomez. The character has been one of the more prominent members of the LGBTQ community in Marvel comics, and it looks like her sexuality will remain the same in the upcoming movie.

Many Gulf countries have deemed homosexuality illegal, and the film censor boards of these nations have been quite stringent about any movies referencing homosexuality. Over the years, movies such as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and many others, either never showed up to theatres in some Middle East countries or the film censor boards requested the makers to cut scenes that referenced them.

This isn’t the first time a Marvel movie has been slapped with a ban from box offices in Gulf countries, as Chloe Zhao’s Eternals had also been removed for including a gay couple involving one of the heroes in Phastos. At the time, Disney had been asked to make some cuts to remove any references of the movie’s major relationship. However, the company refused to make the tweaks, and in the end, the movie never aired in these countries.

As of right now, the sale of advanced tickets for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness have been stopped in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. However, the ticket sales haven’t stopped in the United Arab Emirates, which means that fans in the UAE will be able to see some version of the Sam Raimi-directed movie in theatres.