‘Eternals’ Banned In Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the latest Marvel Studios film ‘Eternals’ has been banned in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait. Sources informed the portal that the LGBT connection in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film might be the reason.

In the Chloe Zhao-directed film, Brian Tyree Henry's Phastos, one of the titular characters and a weapon developer and technological specialist, is a gay man who shares a kiss with his husband Ben (played by Haaz Sleiman). This is the first time in a Marvel film that a same-sex pair is featured.

According to the website, local censors (in these countries) made edit demands that Disney refused to fulfil. The film was set to be released in the Gulf on November 11. The film is still scheduled to be released in the United Arab Emirates.

‘Eternals’, written by Zhao, Ryan Firpo, and Kaz Firpo, features a new set of superheroes, the titular ‘Eternals’, who have been living in secret on Earth for the last 7000 years. Celestials created them and they were charged with defending the Earth from the Deviants, their deformed and wicked opposites.

The film has not received great reviews from anywhere it has been released. So much so, it has been called one of the most reviewed films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A certain survey, 'Eternals' even beat ‘Thor 2’ and ‘Black Widow’ to become the worst reviewed MCU film ever.

‘Eternals’ boasts of a massive ensemble cast of actors. The film stars Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Gemma Chan, Lia McHugh, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee Gil Birmingham, Harish Patel, and Kit Harington.