Marvel Studios’ Eternals is now out worldwide in theaters, but a few countries chose not to have the film release, with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar seemingly banning the film. Angelina Jolie has criticized the move, calling it “ignorant.”
Speaking during a press roundtable for the film, Jolie told news.com.au that she was upset the film was banned, reportedly due to the fact that there was the inclusion of a same-sex couple in the film. While Marvel had the choice to cut the scenes from the film to comply with the countries demands, they chose not to, something that Jolie is happy to have seen.
“I’m sad for [those audiences]. And I’m proud of Marvel for refusing to cut those scenes out,” Jolie said. “I still don’t understand how we live in a world today where there’s still [people who] would not see the family Phastos has and the beauty of that relationship and that love. How anybody is angry about it, threatened by it, doesn’t approve or appreciate it is ignorant.”
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In the film, Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) and his husband Ben (Haaz Sleiman) have a kissing scene. Due to how LGBTQ+ issues and representation are often censored in certain parts of the world, it’s believed that Eternals was dealing with the same issues.
Based on Jack Kirby’s Marvel comics of the same name, Eternals welcomes an exciting new team of superheroes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The epic story, spanning thousands of years, features a group of immortal heroes forced out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s oldest enemy, The Deviants.
The film features a star-studded ensemble including Richard Madden as the all-powerful Ikaris, Gemma Chan as humankind-loving Sersi, Kumail Nanjiani as cosmic-powered Kingo, Lauren Ridloff as the super-fast Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry as the intelligent inventor Phastos, Salma Hayek as the wise and spiritual leader Ajak, Lia McHugh as the eternally young, old-soul Sprite, Don Lee as the powerful Gilgamesh, Barry Keoghan as aloof loner Druig, Angelina Jolie as the fierce warrior Thena, and Kit Harington as Dane Whitman.
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Eternals is directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) from a screenplay co-written by Matthew K. Firpo and Ryan Firpo. It is being produced by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Nate Moore.
