The long-awaited Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness faced a backlash after Saudi Arabia and several countries banned the upcoming film due to the inclusion of a gay character America Chavez, starring Xochitl Gomez.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia particularly requested to remove a 12-second gay reference of Chavez talking about her 'two moms,' however, Disney stands firm with its decision to include the scene and push for inclusivity and representation.
“It’s a big deal that America is in this movie. It’s just huge. And I’m just so happy that Marvel has stuck to it and kept the scene in there,” Gomez told Asia One. “And it’s just pretty crazy that I get to be the one who plays America. Although, yes, my name may be circled within hate and stuff but it’s okay," Gomez added.
Wong who's beside Gomez in the interview chimed in and said, “It’s not okay. It’s not okay. We have to all collectively understand that… She auditioned aged 13 and she joined us aged 14, one of the youngest actors to join the MCU of a film of that magnitude. You know, she’s just a young girl playing her role and full praise for that.”
Wong went on to say that trolls should feel a deep shame for attacking his co-star Gomez. Wong explained, “There’s a real level of shame for all those trolls that are cowards not to actually put their face [out there], and they should feel a deep shame of what they’re doing. "Let’s all just play nice. Let’s all just enjoy what we are representing. It’s sad that fans in that country won’t get to see this. But all we are doing is radiating representation, voicing the voiceless. And that’s all that we can do — represent people so that they can be seen.”
Impressively, both Marvel and Disney show no signs of cutting out the 12-second gay reference — or maybe any reference at all that discusses America Chavez's sexuality. America Chavez is an openly gay character from the source material, the Marvel Comics, and Marvel Studios won't definitely cut that part out of the character because Chavez serves as a representation of the LGBTQ youth.
And according to Doctor Strange lead star Benedict Cumberbatch, America Chavez is included in the film 'for how awesome she is' and her sexuality is just 'one aspect' of her character. And according to recent reviews from early screenings, Chavez adds a winning element to the film, calling her 'MCU Rookie of The Year.'
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now showing in theaters.
Also Read: Marvel Fans Frustratingly Call Doctor Strange 2 Script: ‘Ambitious’ and ‘Chaotic’
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