(London) British actor Benedict Cumberbatch said on Tuesday he was “disappointed” but not surprised that Saudi Arabia had asked Disney to remove “LGBTQ references” from Marvel’s latest film before it could be screened in theaters. halls of this ultra-conservative realm.
Posted at 2:01 p.m.
“It’s hard not to get emotional about it,” said the English actor who plays the lead role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesswhich is slated for release in early May.
“But I fear it is an expected disappointment,” he continued, quoted by the British news agency PA.
So far, the American entertainment giant Disney has replied that it “does not wish” to proceed with the requested deletions.
In the scene in question, which lasts “barely 12 seconds”, the lesbian superheroine America Chavez refers to her “two moms”, said Nawaf Al-Sabhan, the head of film classification in Saudi Arabia, on Monday.
Benedict Cumberbatch, nominated for this year’s Oscars for his role in The Power of the Doglamented “repressive regimes” notorious for not being inclusive.
“The character is in the original comic, it’s not something we created in the name of diversity,” he added. “He’s an incredible character. And (the fact that she’s a lesbian) is just one aspect of the character. That’s all it should be.”
Homosexuality is an offense potentially punishable by death in Saudi Arabia, which opts for a very strict interpretation of Islamic law, even if this kingdom has undertaken social reforms in recent years.
Under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, this conservative Gulf monarchy has opened up to entertainment and major world events, but political and social restrictions remain very strong. In 2017, authorities lifted the cinema ban.