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Angelina Jolie Slams Eternals Ban, Says Anyone Threatened By Gay Roles Is ‘Ignorant’
Marvel's Eternals has been banned in certain countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman reportedly due to the film starring an openly gay couple.
Marvel's Eternals has been banned in certain countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman reportedly due to the film starring an openly gay couple. A Deadline report revealed that censors in the markets sought further cuts beyond any scenes of same-sex intimacy. After Disney refused to make the edits, distribution certificates were not issued.
Now Angelina Jolie, who plays the immortal Thena in the film has opened up about the bad. The actress said, "I'm sad for [those audiences]. And I'm proud of Marvel for refusing to cut those scenes out. 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," she added. For the unversed, Phastos is the openly gay Eternal played in the film by Brian Tyree Henry. The superhero is married to Ben (Haaz Sleiman), and the two share a kiss during one scene in the film.
Director Chloe Zhao previously has revealed that Marvel and Disney discussed about not cutting the film to appease censors around the world. The filmmaker told IndieWire, "I don't know all the details, but I do believe discussions were had and there's a big desire from Marvel and myself - we talked about this - to not change the cut of the movie. Fingers crossed."
Meanwhile, reports have revealed that the ban may not solely be because of the intimate same-sex scenes but because of the depiction of gods and prophets in the film. The film has received mixed reviews in the countries that it has revealed including North America, Canada and 14 international marketplaces like India, South Korea, France, Germany, Italy and more.
Despite bad reviews, Eternals is 85% ahead of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and 20% ahead of Black Widow on Rotten Tomatoes. It reportedly has earned Rs. 8.75 crore gross and 7.35 crore net on opening day in India.
