Homophobia in China censors Black Panther Wakanda Forever

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the likelihood that the latest chapter of the Marvel Studio superhero will be shown in Chinese theaters is small – the main theory as to why this is due to the inclusion of openly gay characters, in this case a couple lesbian. "Wakanda Forever" reveals that Dora Milaje's relatives: Ayo (Florence Kasumba) and Aneka (Michaela Coel) are a couple. The two are also featured together in Marvel's 2016 comic book "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever".

If the second "Black Panther" movie ends up being blacklisted by China's censorship authority, it will join a long list of other Marvel Studios films that have met the same fate.

A Fortune relata que entre a lista atual de filmes de super-heróis proibidos na China estão "Homem-Aranha: Sem Volta para Casa", "Doutor Estranho no Multiverso da Loucura" e "Shang-Chi e a Lenda dos Dez Anéis".

"Spider-Man: Never Go Home" - a Sony and Marvel production - was approved by the local Film Administration in China, but never got a release date. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the leading theory was that there was too much symbolism of American patriotism, namely the Statue of Liberty. The beginning of the scene at the statue can be seen below:

Meanwhile, Deadline reported that "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" was criticized for a scene featuring a newspaper kiosk with The Epoch Times, which opposes the Chinese government.

After its September 2021 release date in the United States, "Shang Chi" did not have a release date in China - likely due to comments Simu Liu, the film's protagonist, made about the country in 2017.

In June, Disney's "Lightyear," a prequel to the "Toy Story" franchise, was also banned in China after the production company refused to cut scenes that featured a same-sex kiss from the film. As of November, the film had no release date in China, according to IMDb. Scenes of the lesbian couple can be seen below:

At the time, Chris Evans, who plays the lead role, told Variety that he was "frustrated" that the inclusion of queer characters was a sticking point. "The goal is that we can get to a point where it's the norm, and it doesn't have to be in uncharted waters, that it eventually does," he said.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Brothers' latest DC Comics superhero movie "Black Adam" will likely never hit Chinese theaters. The agency reports that there is speculation that a photograph that Pierce Brosnan, who stars as Kent Nelson/Doctor Fate in the film, took with the Dalai Lama two years ago is behind the ban.