“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” has been banned in Saudi Arabia, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed after rumours had emerged earlier in the day. 

As per the publication’s Middle Eastern sources, the decision is likely to be related to LGBTQ issues. The Benedict Cumberbatch starring movie has America Chavez, a character played by Xochitl Gomez. In the comics, Chavez is gay. She also has the power to open star-shaped holes in reality, allowing travel through the multiverse. 

Since homosexuality is not legal in the Gulf states, movies with such references often fail to go past the censors. Disney and Marvel films are not strangers to such censorship either. 

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Earlier, Chloé Zhao’s “Eternals” was banned too for having a same-sex character, and what was MCU’s first gay character at the time. The censor board has asked Disney to make some edits, which they were unwilling to budge on. However, an edited version was screened in the UAE. 

The new Doctor Strange movie was slated to release in the Gulf states on May 5, as part of the global rollout, but now prebooking options in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar are reportedly unavailable. However, those in the UAE can still book tickets, suggesting scheduled screenings will take place there. 

The upcoming film sees the aftermath of Stephen Strange’s spell to help Peter Parker make the world, except his loved ones, forget he’s Spider-Man. Once Dr Strange’s magic goes wrong, villains from different Spider-Man universes begin appearing, leading to an epic showdown between them and the three Spideys. 

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While Strange and the webslingers manage to reverse that spell, it opens the gateways to the multiverse, and Strange must face the consequences. He enlists the help of Wanda Maximoff or Scarlet Witch. Filled with stunning visuals, the movie continues Phase IV of Marvel and becomes among the more recent installations exploring the multiverse.