Following the reported ban of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in Saudi Arabia as a result of the introduction of America Chavez, a queer Marvel hero featured in the upcoming sequel, Disney has stated that they will not be cutting the approximately 12 seconds of LGBTQ-related footage from the film in said region.
The general supervisor of cinema classification in Saudi Arabia, Nawaf Alsabhan, said to The Guardian that “barely twelve seconds” of “LGBTQ references” were asked to be removed in order for the film to be shown in Saudi Arabia. Alsabhan clarified the specifics of the requested edits, “It’s just her talking about her moms, because she has two moms. And being in the Middle East, it’s very tough to pass something like this.” Disney apparently told the distributor that they were “not willing” to cut the specified footage.
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Described as the first Marvel Cinematic Universe horror film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness sees the return of Cumberbatch as he reprises his role as Dr. Stephen Strange. This time the Sorcerer Supreme will be joined by Scarlet Witch, portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen, who is coming off from the critical success of WandaVision. The sequel is expected to tie into the events from WandaVision, Loki and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
The sequel will also feature MCU alums Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, and Rachel McAdams, who are reprising their roles as Karl Mordo, Wong, and Dr. Christine Palmer, respectively. It will also feature the introduction of the live-action debut of fan-favorite Marvel hero America Chavez, who will be portrayed by newcomer Xochitl Gomez (The Baby-Sitters Club).
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The film is directed by Sam Raimi (Spider-Man trilogy) from a script written by Emmy-winning scribe Michael Waldron (Loki). It is executive produced by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.
