Countries That Have Previously Banned Marvel Movies Like Doctor Strange 2
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness has been banned in Saudi Arabia over the inclusion of a queer character in the film. Homosexuality is still prohibited in the Gulf’s Islamic countries, and it is punishable by law. On the websites of Saudi Arabian cinemas, advance tickets are no longer accessible. Tickets are also unavailable in neighboring Gulf countries Kuwait and Qatar, raising doubts about the film’s premiere in those countries. Adding to the list, it has now come to light that Marvel film will also not release in Egypt. The official social media handle of IMAX Egypt shared the news with the caption, ”Doctor Strange and Wanda will not be here during their journey between universes! #DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness won’t be released in Egypt.”
Even though the superhero genre is a bit difficult to resist, some countries have previously banned Marvel Movies. The reason being some countries still aren’t okay with things like LGBTQ+ rights or other races and religions. We have got a list of countries that are known to have banned our favorite Marvel Movies for some really stupid reasons.
Saudi Arabia and its neighbors banned Eternals
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness is not the only one to be banned in Saudi Arabia and its neighbors Kuwait and Qatar owing to the inclusion of a character belonging to the LGBTQ+ community. Eternals in 2021 too didn’t make it to box offices in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar. The reason being the depiction of a same-sex relationship. The Eternal Phastos has a husband and children.
Pakistan was blocked from releasing Captain Marvel
Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) becomes Captain Marvel in the 2019 film that took viewers back to the ’90s. ‘Captain Marvel’ is an action-packed, nostalgia-filled origin story that also provides a long-awaited backstory on Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), including why he wears an eye patch. According to reports, Disney’s regional headquarters in India blocked the film’s release in Pakistan. The cause for this appears to be a stalemate on rights agreements.
Lebanon didn’t let Gal Gadot bless their screens
Wonder Woman (2017)
Right before the release, Lebanon banned Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. The movie revolved around the lead Diana, an Amazonian Warrior Princess who while pursuing God of War – Ares swept into World War 1. Even though the movie was nowhere related Middle-Eastern War, Lebanon didn’t let cinemas show off Gal Gadot (an Israeli actress) since Lebanon and Israel aren’t really on great terms.
Justice League (2017)
Released in 2017 – Justice League did not make the cut in Lebanon’s theatres for the same reason that ‘Wonder Woman,’ did not. Along with Batman (Ben Affleck), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Flash (Ezra Miller), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and Superman (Henry Cavill), Gal Gadot reprised her role as Diana in this film. Gal Gadot used to be a member of the Israeli military. Undoubtedly Gadot has a large following, Lebanon is not one of them.
China does provide a variety of Reasons
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (2021)
Starring Simu Liu – ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,’ opens thousands of years ago with Xu Wenwu (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung) discovering the Ten Rings giving him power and immortality. Xu Wenwu finds love and has children many years later. Shang-Chi, his son, is a valet driver in the present day who, after being attacked, is forced to confront his history and the Ten Rings organization. Even though Shang-Chi features an Asian character and Mandarin is spoken throughout, Chinese censors deemed the film to be far from true Chinese art and prevented its release.
Deadpool (2016)
In 2016, ‘Deadpool‘ was released as an R-rated superhero film. Wade, a former Special Forces operative turned mercenary, turned cancer victim. He went to some shady folks to “heal” him in a time of desperation. Wade’s genes alter, thereby making him indestructible, but the poor guy ends up with a malformed face and body, starting his twisted road to vindication. While ‘Deadpool’ was a box office smash in the United States, the movie was not permitted to be released in China. Among the causes include violence, nudity, and graphic language.
Daredevil was way too Violent for Malaysia
In Hell’s Kitchen, a blind superhero played by Ben Affleck fights crime. Daredevil works to take down crime boss Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan) while losing his eyesight and having all of his other senses enhanced. The stunts are simple, but Matt Murdock makes them intriguing. However, the Southeast Asian nation of Malaysia decided the film was far too violent for the big screen. The inclusion of the word “devil” in the title character’s name was also frowned upon by the authorities.
