Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessis reportedly banned in Saudi Arabia over the inclusion of LGBTQ+ character America Chavez. This is only the latest Marvel Studios project to be banned in the Gulf for the same reasons, asEternalsmet a similar fate in 2021.
InDoctor Strange 2, the role of America Chavez will be played by Xochitl Gomez. As in the comics, the MCU’sAmerica Chavez is an LGBTQ+ Latin-Americanwith several superhuman powers, including the ability to travel between dimensions.
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The Hollywood Reporter confirmed from Middle East sources thatDoctor Strange 2has been banned in Saudi Arabia following rumors that began surfacing on Friday morning (April 22). The decision has yet to be officially announced, and apparently,Doctor Strange 2hasn’t even been reviewed by those responsible for the ultimate decision in Saudi Arabia, but THR notes that its sources say America Chavez’s inclusion in the film is the reason it will be banned in the country. At this time,advance tickets forDoctor Strange 2are no longer available on cinema websites in Saudi, Kuwait and Qatar. However, early tickets can still be bought in the United Arab Emirates, suggestingDoctor Strange 2will still release in theaters there.
Because homosexuality is illegal across the Gulf, films featuring LGBTQ+ stories and characters are targeted by censors for edits or outright banishment. As previously mentioned, director Chloé Zhao’sEternalswas banned across the Gulffor the inclusion of a same-sex couple. Censors had reportedly requested cuts toEternalsthat Disney, the parent company of Marvel Studios, refused to make, although an edited version of the film did screen in the United Arab Emirates.
News ofDoctor Strange 2being banned in Saudi Arabia comes within a month ofFantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledorebeing censoredin China for similar reasons. Censors in the nation requested roughly six seconds of dialogue referring to Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s romantic past be cut from the film, and Warner Bros. complied.
Suffice to say, members of the LGBTQ+ community are likely disappointed to see another film that finally represents them become the target of censors. Hopefully, Disney will stand by its decision and refuse to make cuts toDoctor Strange 2, but only time will tell.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessis scheduled to be released in theaters on June 19, 2025.
