Angelina Jolie says the international theatrical ban on Eternals in some countries is "ignorant." After various delays due to COVID-19 pandemic, the third film in the MCU's Phase 4 is now finally playing in theaters. Eternals not only introduces a ton of new superheroes to the MCU portrayed by a uniquely diverse cast, but it also makes significant strides in terms of representation. The film features the MCU's first openly gay superhero in Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) along with Lauren Ridloff as the franchise's first deaf hero, Makkari.

Since its world premiere in Los Angeles last month, Eternals has proven to be perhaps the MCU's most divisive film yet. While critics have been universally praising its diversity, many are split on the film itself, resulting in the first MCU movie ever to be rotten on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, with Eternals' score currently hovering around 50%. While ticket sales indicate Eternals will likely be another commercial success for Marvel, another obstacle was thrown in front of the film when it was reportedly banned in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar due to its inclusion of gay characters.

Related: Eternals' Rotten Tomato Score Was An Inevitability For The MCU

Now, one of the film's lead stars, Angelina Jolie, who plays the powerful warrior Thena, is reacting to Marvel's latest epic being banned in several countries. During a press roundtable, Jolie told News.com.au that she is "sad" for those international audiences who won't be able to see the film and is "proud" of Marvel for refusing to cut certain scenes. Jolie added that anyone who opposes the film because of its depiction of homosexuality is "ignorant." Read her full comments below:

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.

Gemma Chan as Sersi, Richard Madden as Ikaris, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Haaz Sleiman as Phastos Husband with their son in Eternals

In Eternals, Marvel's first openly gay superhero, Phastos, is shown in a same-sex marriage with his partner, who is portrayed by Haaz Sleiman. The two even share a kiss together on screen at one point. The couple also have a son named Jack, played by Esai Daniel Cross. It's not unusual for Hollywood to remove certain scenes from films to accommodate countries with different rules regarding censorship. Bohemian Rhapsody famously removed references to Freddie Mercury's homosexuality to make the film suitable for release in China.

It's admirable that Marvel is refusing to kowtow to certain countries who disapprove of Eternals' same-sex relationship. Writer/director Chloé Zhao was instrumental in this decision, as she urged Marvel to not censor the film for international audiences who might disapprove, and the studio agreed. While MCU movies have been edited for overseas release in the past, Eternals' gay relationship and kiss have been a long time coming, and it just wouldn't have felt right for Marvel to censor a milestone moment to appease certain countries' intolerable attitudes.

Next: Why Eternals' Reviews Are So Mixed

Source: News.com.au

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