Disney Refuses To Edit Eternals’ LGBTQ Representation For Int’l Countries

Disney Refuses To Edit Eternals’ LGBTQ+ Representation For Int’l Countries

Disney has refused to edit out the same-sex relationship in Eternals’ after several international countries requested it censored.

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Disney Refuses To Edit Eternals’ LGBTQ Representation For Int’l Countries

Eternals, the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has been banned in several countries over the inclusion of a same-sex couple that Disney refused to edit out. Eternals follows the adventures of an immortal Alien race of the same name, who were created over 7,000 years before the modern-day by another alien race, the Celestials. After hiding themselves from humanity for several millennia, the Eternals choose to reunite to protect humanity from the re-emergence of their evil counterparts, the Deviants. The events of Eternals occur in the period directly after Avengers: Endgame, in which half the population of the universe returns after Thanos’ plan to efforts to erase them were thwarted.

Ahead of its worldwide release on November 5, Eternals has been at the center of both praise and criticism from critics and fans. On the one hand, Eternals has received extensive praise for its diverse and inclusive casting, something which actress Gemma Chan hopes will become a movie industry norm moving forward. Presales for tickets also indicate that Eternals is heading for major commercial success, achieving the second best Fandango presale numbers in 2021 behind Black Widow. Contrasting this, however, have been the movie’s negative reviews from critics. Eternals recently became the first MCU film to receive a “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While this may change once fans have seen the movie, such a rating does not bode well ahead of Eternals’ opening weekend.

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Now, as reported by THR, Eternals faces another obstacle, this time in the form of the movie being banned in several countries across the Gulf region. Originally set to release on November 11, Disney was sent a series of edit requests by local censors, edits which Disney was not willing to make. As a result, listings for the movie have been quietly removed from relevant websites in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar. One regional cinema chain reported to THR that the movie had been “banned,” but that they hadn’t been told why. In the United Arab Emirates, however, the film remains among titles listed as “coming soon” on relevant websites.

Sources indicate that this ban was more than likely the result of the inclusion of the MCUs first-ever same-sex couple and first openly gay superhero. One scene in particular, in which superhero Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) passionately kisses his on-screen husband, may have been a focal point for this ban. Homosexuality is illegal in multiple countries across the gulf, and punishable by death in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It is punishable by imprisonment in Kuwait. Any promotion of same-sex relationships or attraction runs counter to state policy in these countries, making it illegal for cinemas to display such material.

In the face of Eternals having the MCUs lowest ever rotten tomatoes score, it is commendable that Disney did not bow to the pressure of censors and remove the same-sex relationship in Eternals in order to reap the financial rewards of the movie playing in the Gulf. While it is lamentable that LGBTQ+ representation in the MCU appears for the first time in Phase 4 of the project, its appearance in Eternals will no doubt pave the way for greater representation in the future. Whether this causes further clashes with censorship laws in Gulf countries remains to be seen. As the MCU continues to expand, it will no doubt be a contentious issue amongst fans and studio executives over whether Disney chooses to prioritize LGBTQ+ representation over financial benefits in future releases.

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Link Source : https://screenrant.com/eternals-movie-lgbt-edit-representation-international-refusal-details/

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