Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: Benedict Cumberbatch reacts on the movie’s ban in Saudi Arabia

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is one of the most anticipated movies of the year, but it has been banned in Saudi Arabia. Benedict Cumberbatch has now reacted to the ban due to an LGBTQ scene in the movie. 

Talking to PA News Agency, he said that it is difficult to not become emotional about it and that it was an expected disappointment. “We’ve come to know from those repressive regimes that their lack of tolerance is exclusionary to people who deserve to be not only included but celebrated for who they are, and made to feel a part of a society and a culture and not punished for their sexuality," he said. 

The movie has reportedly been banned from the country following the inclusion of a 12-second long scene, where Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez refers to her two mothers. Cumberbatch also defended the character's inclusion in the movie and stressed that it was not ‘tokenism’ and that it was just another trait of the new character. 

Directed by Sam Raimi, the movie also stars Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Rachel McAdams in important roles. The movie will see Doctor Strange and Wanda dive deeper into the multiverse and face new foes and challenges. 

The MCU movie has already collected over Rs. 10 crore reportedly in pre-booking sales in India The numbers suggest yet another big hit in India for an MCU movie. The movie is set to hit theatres in India on May 6 in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. Post its theatrical run, it will also start streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.