Egypt bans Marvel's Doctor Strange 2 over 'openly gay character' America Chavez

Egypt has banned the new Marvel film 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' from cinemas because it features an openly gay character, a source from Egypt's censorship authority has told The New Arab's Arabic-language sister site.

IMAX Egypt announced Saturday that the film would not be released in the country, but did not say why.

The film was banned because of the presence of the openly homosexual character America Chavez, the anonymous source told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Gay Egyptians spoke of their disappointment at the move, but insisted they will find ways to watch the film anyway. 

Doctor Strange and Wanda will not be here during their journey between universes!#DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness won't be released in Egypt pic.twitter.com/Nqox2vGf5g

— IMAX Egypt (@IMAXegypt) April 23, 2022

However, some Egyptians supported the ban. 

“Though I’ve been waiting for this film for a year, I have to agree with the reason it’s been banned. We’ve got to say no and stick to our principles,” tweeted influencer Ahmed Kamal. 

Egypt’s Supreme Council for Media Regulation has not released an official statement about the film.

The news follows reports that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait had already banned the film on the same basis. 

IMAX Saudi Arabia announced on social media earlier this week that the film would not be screened in the kingdom, but did not say why.

Despite bans elsewhere in the Gulf, tickets are still available for the debut screenings of the film in the United Arab Emirates on 5 May. 

In Egypt, several productions featuring intimate scenes between people of the same sex have been cut by censors in recent years. 

In November 2021, Egypt followed Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman in banning the release of Marvel Studios’ film 'Eternals'. 

And almost three years ago, the Oscar-winning film ‘Bohemian Rhapsody' -  a biopic of legendary British singer, songwriter, and composer Freddie Mercury - was edited for release in Egypt, with censors having removed scenes depicting gay sex.

Nevertheless, films depicting explicit heterosexual and homosexual love scenes are available for Egyptians to view on streaming platforms such as Netflix.