Marvel's 'Thor: Love and Thunder' Officially Banned Over "LGBTQ+ Characters" - Inside the Magic

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is rapidly expanding with Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), but not Marvel fans can see the film. The movie has been officially banned in another country due to its LGTBQ+ characters.

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The Marvel Collection has ushered in six new movies in Phase Four of the MCU, but none have been available to watch in China.

On top of countless bans throughout the Middle East for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) over one scene showcasing two women portrayed as the mothers of newcomer America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), The Walt Disney Company has barely been able to crack the worldwide box office gross of some of their biggest motion pictures, including Pixar’s Lightyear (2022).

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Following suit of a recent ban in China and a halt on release in Malaysia, Taika Waititi’s new Marvel movie — which he, Tessa Thompson, and Natalie Portman reportedly stated was “super gay” — has been banned from release in Kuwait theaters:

#ThorLoveAndThunder has now been banned in Kuwait due to its LGBTQ+ characters…

#ThorLoveAndThunder has now been banned in Kuwait due to its LGBTQ+ characters… Details: https://t.co/IZQj04tX8U pic.twitter.com/lX2rIrESKL

— MCU – The Direct (@MCU_Direct) July 27, 2022

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Kuwait also banned Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the most recent Marvel movie.

MCU Direct writes:

Thanks to Al-Qabas on Instagram, it’s been revealed that Thor: Love and Thunder has been officially banned in the Middle East country of Kuwait. The decision to ban the project came from the Cinema Committee in the Ministry of Information and was the result of scenes including gay characters. This is far from the first time a Marvel Studios project has been banned for that same reason.

Identity Magazine has also reported that the movie is likely to get banned in several Arab countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia and is already indefinitely postponed in Malaysia. Prior to the news, The Hollywood Reporter is among the many sources to have predicted the inevitable outcome.

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Thor: Love and Thunder is the sixth Marvel movie to be banned worldwide. These films include Black Widow (2021), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), Eternals (2021), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).

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Now, Thor: Love and Thunder continue to feel the woes of missing out on a more significant box office take, receiving a landmark -67% drop in gross in the film’s second weekend.

Nonetheless, these recent bans aren’t stopping Marvel Studios from telling various stories and introducing new characters into the Marvel collection.

More about Thor: Love and Thunder

The film finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.

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The Marvel Universe is becoming much more than iconic characters/Earth’s Mightiest Heroes like Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), and Thanos (Josh Brolin).

Tom Holland’s Avenger is leading the way for Marvel Cinematic Universe newcomers Kate Bishop,  Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), Moon Knight (Oscar Isaac), Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), Eternals’ Thena (Angelina Jolie), and more — especially with his next Spider-Man trilogy that’s currently in the works.

What are your thoughts on Thor: Love and Thunder? Comment below!