Doctor Strange introduces gay teen America Chavez, played by Xochitl Gomez, and Eternals features a queer couple as well as the franchise’s first openly gay superhero, Phastos. That list includes several recent Marvel Cinematic Universe offerings, like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Eternals (although the people of Qatar and Kuwait did not miss much with this unfortunate Chloé Zhao dud).
This is just the latest instance of Disney seeing one of its films blocked from release in the Gulf countries. In a tweet, it did not cite a specific reason for not licensing the film beyond a “violation of the country’s media standards.” But the scene that presumably prompted the ban sees Hawthorne, Buzz’s best friend and a commanding officer voiced by Uzo Aduba, greeting her wife with a smooch on the lips. Despite all that silliness, the UAE’s Media Regulatory Office announced that it will not screen the film in the country.
