Recently, it was reported that Marvel Studios’ newest feature, “Eternals,” is already getting banned from certain countries due to its inclusion of LGBTQ characters. Typically, we’ve seen studios make edits to films in the past so that certain international territories will approve them. Still, it seems as if Disney/Marvel Studios is staying firm and will not cut scenes featuring Brian Tyree Henry’s gay superhero character, Phastos. And for that, one of Henry’s co-stars, Angelina Jolie, is proud of the studio.
Speaking to Australian outlet. News.co.au, Angelina Jolie talked about how “Eternals” is being banned from theaters in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman because of its LGBTQ characters. Unsurprisingly, Jolie is not a fan of the idea that countries would attempt to censor films that include positive representation of the LGBTQ community.
READ MORE: ‘Eternals’ Reportedly Banned In Several Countries Due To LGBTQ Characters
“I’m sad for [those audiences],” said Jolie about the fact “Eternals” won’t play in the aforementioned countries. “And I’m proud of Marvel for refusing to cut those scenes out.”
She added, “I still don’t understand how we live in a world today where there’s still [people who] would not see the family Phastos has and the beauty of that relationship and that love. How anybody is angry about it, threatened by it, doesn’t approve or appreciate it is ignorant.”
Without getting into spoilers, “Eternals” features Phastos, played by Brian Tyree Henry, a gay man with a husband and a child. The film features a kiss between Phastos and his husband and multiple scenes where he is shown with his family. While that may seem tame for most American audiences, LGBTQ representation is still strictly forbidden in many religious, conservative territories. However, since this is the Marvel Studios’ first full attempt at featuring an LGBTQ superhero in a major way, the studio is, apparently, unwilling to make any concessions to play in those countries.
We’ll see if this has any effect on the box office or if other countries will begin to ban the film soon enough, as “Eternals” is now starting to play in theaters around the world and is currently looking at a $70 million debut in North America.