Doctor Strange’s multiverse will not include Saudi Arabia.
It is no secret that several countries are less accepting of homosexuality and show no support for the LGTBQIA+ community. Even home in the United States, anti-LGTBQIA+ legislation has been filed in several states, including Florida. Furthermore, it is also not uncommon to see nations take actions that reaffirm their stance against the LGTBQIA+ rights movement and Saudi Arabia makes a perfect example of the latter. According to UpRoxx, Dr. Strange 2, also known as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will apparently not feature in Saudi Arabia because it features a gay character. Indeed, the film will be banned altogether.
Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney
No official explanations have been given for the prohibition, but reports indicate that it was the introduction of the character America Chavez Marvel’s very first Latinx LGBTQIA+ character played by Xochitl Gomez, that struck a chord.
Despite delays and now bans, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will arrive in theatres this year, shaking up the Marvel Cinematic Universe like never before. In Spider-Man: Far From Home, the multiverse was teased as an infinite number of other realms. We already know that Scarlet Witch would appear with Doctor Strange in the film, but now Kevin Feige claims that other heroes will also join the craziness.