Gay Superhero Eternals Is What Audienc Have Been Wag For - Variety

Contents:

• ETERNALS' GAY KISS MAK FIRST MARVEL FILM TO RECEIVE M18 RATG SGAPORE
• 5 THGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE MCU'S FIRST OPENLY GAY SUPER-POWERED CHARACTER
• TOM HOLLAND’S GAY SEX SCENE 'THE CROWD ROOM' DEFEND BY FANS
• MARVEL FALLY ADDS A GAY TLE HERO "ETERNALS," ONLY TO HAVE FILM BANNED SOME UNTRI
• GAY KISS 'ETERNALS' WAS CENSORED SOME MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRI
• ‘ETERNALS’ REPORTEDLY PULLED SDI ARABIA AND GULF NATNS OVER GAY SUPERHERO
• ANGELA JOLIE IS “PROUD” MARVEL REFED TO CUT ‘ETERNALS’ SCEN FEATURG GAY HERO FOR GULF NATN CENSORS
• THE MCU'S FIRST GAY KISS BROUGHT A LOT OF EMOTN TO MARVEL'S ETERNALS SET
• ‘THE ETERNALS’ ACTOR SAYS CREW CRIED ON SET WHILE FILMG MCU’S FIRST GAY KISS
• ETERNALS BANNED SDI ARABIA, QATAR AND KUWA AFTER DISNEY REF GAY CUTS – REPORTS
• THE GAY SUPERHERO ‘ETERNALS’ IS ‘WHAT AUDIENC HAVE BEEN WAG FOR,’ SAYS GLAAD (GUT COLUMN)
• COULD ‘ETERNALS’ MOVE THE NEEDLE THE MIDDLE EAST BY PUTTG AN OPENLY GAY CHARACTER ON SCREEN?

ETERNALS' GAY KISS MAK FIRST MARVEL FILM TO RECEIVE M18 RATG SGAPORE

Sgapore has given a ratg of M18 to the latt Marvel film, Eternals, bee of a scene wh a gay kiss, makg the first movie om the ultra-popular superhero anchise to not receive a PG or PG13 ratg.

Phastos, one of the tular Eternals, played by Brian Tyree Henry, is one of the first gay ma characters the MCU. "Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) Eternals is Marvel's first proment gay character the anchise.

5 THGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE MCU'S FIRST OPENLY GAY SUPER-POWERED CHARACTER

The film ntas homosexual referenc. "Reprentativ om Disney, Marvel Studs' parent pany, cled to ment for this 2008, MediaCorp TV Channel 5 was fed by the then Media Development Authory for an episo that "normalise(d) and promote(d) a gay liftyle.

The agency said at the time, "This is breach of the Free-to-Air TV Programme Co which disallows programm that promote, jtify or glamourise gay liftyl. However, Eternals' director Chloe Zhao said that she and Marvel had discsed the matter and did not wish to censor the gay scen the movie for ternatnal has been cricised for the lack of LGBTQ characters s movi.

He's not the first queer MCU character; he's the first out, super-powered MCU character In 2019's Avengers: Endgame, -director Joe Rso played an unnamed gay man a brief scene at a support group.

TOM HOLLAND’S GAY SEX SCENE 'THE CROWD ROOM' DEFEND BY FANS

Pl, there's sr of background players var crowd scen that have pged my personal gaydar.

The first openly gay superhero a Marvel movie, and Haaz Sleiman (Ltle Ameri), who plays his hband. Rodriguez/Getty Imag And Sleiman is proud to be a part of the first openly gay superhero storyle for Marvel.

"I'm married to the gay superhero Phastos, played by Atlanta's Brian Tyree Henry, and we reprent a gay fay and have a child, " he add.

MARVEL FALLY ADDS A GAY TLE HERO "ETERNALS," ONLY TO HAVE FILM BANNED SOME UNTRI

Prevly, Marvel Studs print Kev Feige nfirmed that The Eternals would feature an openly gay character to help further onscreen LGBTQ reprentatn. Related ntent: Marvel's The Eternals nfirms openly gay character: 'He's married, he's got a fay'Marvel boss nfirms Tsa Thompson's Valkyrie as MCU's first LGBTQ superheroK Hargton jos Marvel's The Eternals for Game of Thron rnn wh Richard Madn. Marvel Studs has jt released Eternals, the first film the pany's superhero anchise to feature a gay hero — and you're fiven if you're feelg any déjà vu.

GAY KISS 'ETERNALS' WAS CENSORED SOME MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRI

Prev films the Marvel Cematic Universe have featured "gay moments, " like Avengers: Endgame's brief scene which a non-superhero character, portrayed by director Joe Rso, scrib a same-sex date. (Marvel Studs/Disney/The Associated Prs)In Eternals, Phastos (played by Brian Tyree Henry) is a married gay man wh a young son, and his fay life is entwed to the heart of the story.

"Not all LGBTQ superhero the ics world are up for character Wicn, a member of the Young Avengers who ma his first appearance a 2005 ic, has been wrten as a gay teenager om the start. This extend to ntent that the thory emed "sexually perverse, " cludg homosexualy.

"That hered  a new era of ics, which clud the troductn of Marvel's first openly gay superhero, Northstar (who is also a Canadian) terms of LGBTQ reprentatn, Deman said, much of what we see the ics world now is about tchg up. And a new Prcs Diana movie is out — we discs whether offers anythg new, and unpack our ceasels fascatn wh the after the was abolished, there remas a certa appeal searchg for LGBTQ subtext wh popular culture, acrdg to enjoy fdg LGBTQ-d characters, "where they n get to the further extent of those feelgs and relatnship, " whout havg to worry about a stud's nonil, nservative treatment of a gay character, she said, potg to Capta Marvel's Carol Danvers and Maria Rambe as one such pairg. It also means explicly gay ntent rarely se the light of day a major stud Chat talks Eternals and SpencerThis week, Eternals was pulled om Sdi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwa, allegedly rponse to s cln of the same-sex uple.

‘ETERNALS’ REPORTEDLY PULLED SDI ARABIA AND GULF NATNS OVER GAY SUPERHERO

Tom HollandFans of Brish actor Tom Holland have e to his fense after some social media ers were seemgly upset that the latt episo of his Apple TV+ seri The Crowd Room featured gay the scene, Holland’s character go to a club wh heavy black eyeler and all black.

”A lot of other ers, however, seemed very nfed over the backlash, pecially sce Spir-Man actors Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield have also played gay person wrote, “Watchg agile cishet men have breakdowns over the reason Tom Holland is trendg is sweet we to me.

ANGELA JOLIE IS “PROUD” MARVEL REFED TO CUT ‘ETERNALS’ SCEN FEATURG GAY HERO FOR GULF NATN CENSORS

”“The fact that a sgle scene on an Apple Pl show featurg Tom Holland has brought out so much homophobia om the stupist people is... Homosexualy is still illegal some Gulf untri, and is punishable by the ath penalty Qatar and Sdi Arabia. Kal Penn out as gay, announc engagement.

THE MCU'S FIRST GAY KISS BROUGHT A LOT OF EMOTN TO MARVEL'S ETERNALS SET

The EternalsMarvel Stud’s first gay kiss has been censored some Middle Eastern untri, but Eternals is still breakg new ground when to queer reprentatn the some untri the regn, cludg Sdi Arabia, Kuwa, Qatar, Bahra, and Oman are flat out clg to release the movie due to s queer ntent, other untri are showg a cut of the latt, queer-clive Marvel flick that simply eds out a scene where Phastos kiss his hband, leavg other scen he has wh his hband and same-sex kiss was eded out of the film the Uned Arab Emirat, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Ethpia, Palte, Syria, and Turkey. But wasn’t jt the gay kiss that was eded out, was any and all scen of physil timacy and kissg between characters (LGBTQ+ and straight), which is standard those untri.

Dpe removg the kiss, the versn of Eternals that screened the untri still shows Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) to be happily married to a man, who also happens to be played by gay Mlim actor Haaz Sleiman. ”While her dream didn’t exactly e te, Middle Eastern dienc are still gettg to see a posive portrayal of a Black gay superhero and his Middle Eastern hband.

The ial nversatns around seemed promisg; productn members often talked about the cln of Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) as the MCU’s first openly gay superhero well before the release. Notable occurrenc are the brief mentn that a female character is married to a woman Onward, a meo appearance om Joe Rso Avengers: Endgame as a gay man at a support group, and an acknowledgment of Loki’s non-cishet genr and sexualy brief moments of Loki.

‘THE ETERNALS’ ACTOR SAYS CREW CRIED ON SET WHILE FILMG MCU’S FIRST GAY KISS

The most recent occurrenc of this have been wh Disney Pixar’s Lu, where director Enri Casarosa ially phed back agast those who felt that Lu served as a gay or trans allegory, and wh Marvel’s The Faln and the Wter Soldier, when Anthony Mackie plaed about fans beg exced by the ia that Sam Wilson and Bucky Barn gave off queer vib. Several untri the Middle East have now banned Eternals after they requted eds be ma to their theatril cuts to erase the LGBTQ+ reprentatn and gay kiss, but Disney stood by  and cled to make the eds. The portrayal of the gay relatnship between Phastos and his hband Ben is unabashed and wholome, as the two are shown to love each other and to re arly for their son Jack (Esai Daniel Cross).

Eternals is the perfect movie to have clud this first openly gay superhero (asi om the fact that took 13 years and over 20 movi the MCU for to arrive). Gay and lbian relatnships between cis people are the most monly reprented part of the muny, so is no surprise that Phastos’ relatnship was the first major w for the MCU.

ETERNALS BANNED SDI ARABIA, QATAR AND KUWA AFTER DISNEY REF GAY CUTS – REPORTS

Marvel Stud's first gay kiss has been censored some Middle Eastern untri, but Eternals is still breakg new ground when to queer reprentatn the some untri the regn, cludg Sdi Arabia, Kuwa, Qatar, Bahra, and Oman are flat out clg to release the movie due to s queer ntent, other untri are showg a cut of the latt, queer-clive Marvel flick that simply eds out a scene where Phastos kiss his hband, leavg other scen he has wh his hband and same-sex kiss was eded out of the film the Uned Arab Emirat, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Ethpia, Palte, Syria, and Turkey. But wasn't jt the gay kiss that was eded out, was any and all scen of physil timacy and kissg between characters (LGBTQ+ and straight), which is standard those untri. "While her dream didn't exactly e te, Middle Eastern dienc are still gettg to see a posive portrayal of a Black gay superhero and his Middle Eastern hband.

“Eternals, ” which featur a st of globally regnized Hollywood stars cludg Angela Jolie and Salma Hayek, reportedly has been pulled om cemas Sdi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwa over s cln of the Marvel Cematic Universe’s first gay new film, which featur tech geni Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) the MCU’s first same-sex kiss, has quietly been banned ahead of s planned Nov.

Homosexualy is illegal across much of the regn and is punishable by ath Sdi Arabia and Qatar. A spokman for Sgapore’s Infom Media Development Authory told the Guardian that was a rult of “homosexual referenc. Angela Jolie has spoken out about the news that Eternals was pulled om release several Gulf natns over the cln of the Marvel Cematic Universe’s first openly gay superhero, sayg she was proud of the stud for refg to bow to censors.

THE GAY SUPERHERO ‘ETERNALS’ IS ‘WHAT AUDIENC HAVE BEEN WAG FOR,’ SAYS GLAAD (GUT COLUMN)

Dpe the ban havg sparked numero headl, Eternals was wily expected to face a kickback by censors the Gulf, where homosexualy is still officially illegal and films ntag anythg related to LGBTQ issu are equently pulled om release. Haaz Sleiman stars Eternals and reveals that Marvel's first gay kissg scene was an emotnal day on the set. Eternals actor Haaz Sleiman has revealed some new rmatn about Marvel's first openly gay uple.

While many assumed that Game of Thron star Richard Madn was playg Marvel's first openly gay superhero, that isn't the se.

COULD ‘ETERNALS’ MOVE THE NEEDLE THE MIDDLE EAST BY PUTTG AN OPENLY GAY CHARACTER ON SCREEN?

"I jt shot a Marvel film wh the first openly gay superhero, the Eternals.

I'm married to the gay superhero Phastos, played by Atlanta's Brian Tyree Henry, and we reprent a gay fay and have a child. Marvel Studs has ma no secret that s upg fall tentpole “The Eternals” will feature s first openly gay superhero. In a new terview wh Logo, “Eternals” actor Haaz Sleiman reveals his character is one half of the gay uple that appears the movie.