10 Biggest Movie Controversies Of 2021
8. Eternals Banned In Several Countries For Same-Sex Relationship
Eternals certainly caught a lot of flak following its release back in November, mostly as a result of its poor critical reception and the hype surrounding the MCU's "first sex scene" - which ended up being extremely tame given the build-up.
The film's portrayal of a same-sex relationship between Brian Tyree Henry's Phastos and his husband, played by Haaz Sleiman, did land the film in some hot water however, causing it to be banned in several countries.
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and several other Middle Eastern countries outright banned the film from cinemas, mere days before its planned release on the 11th of November.
It also received 18+ rating in Russia for the same reason, which is no surprise given their views on so-called "homosexual propaganda" and their outward contempt for LGBTQ+ people.
The film was also never released in China, but this might have less to do with the content of the film and more to do with its director, Chloe Zhao. Zhao openly criticized the Chinese government back in 2013, which (as a result of the Chinese Communist Party's rather delicate ego) led to her, and any mention of her, being outright blacklisted from Chinese media.