Angelina Jolie has spoken out about reports that her new movie, Eternals, has been banned in several countries due to the fact it features a same-sex relationship.
Eternals hits movie theaters today and is Marvel's latest installment into the internationally popular MCU. The follows the latest heroes to grace our screen, a group known as the Eternals - a race of superhumans from the planet Olympia, sent to Earth to protect humanity.
Jolie stars as Thena, an elite warrior Eternal who is able to conjure weapons out of cosmic energy.
However, The Hollywood Reporter has recently published an article regarding rumors that the movie was met with edit requests from countries in the Gulf region. THR states that Disney was not willing to make the edit requests, which were reportedly requested due to "local censors".
As a result, THR reports that the movie has been removed online from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar - all nations where homosexuality is illegal, per news.com.au.
The Hollywood Reporter adds that sources have suggested that the decision has "likely" been made due to the fact that Eternals features the MCU's first gay superhero, Brian Tyree Henry's character Phastos.
The outlet adds that one scene in the movie shows Phastos sharing a passionate kiss with his husband, Ben (played by Haaz Sleiman).
And during a press conference earlier this week, 46-year-old Jolie responded to the reports, telling news.com.au: "I'm sad for [those audiences]. And I’m proud of Marvel for refusing to cut those scenes out."
The Maleficent star added: "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."
Earlier this year, the movie's director - Academy Award-winner Chloé Zhao - spoke to Indiewire about her desire to leave the movie unedited and not appease censors.
Zhao told the outlet: "I don’t know all the details, but I do believe discussions were had and there’s a big desire for Marvel and myself – we talked about this – to not change the cut of the movie. Fingers crossed."
