Eternals' Haaz Sleiman on Beg Arab and Openly Gay the MCU - Variety

Contents:

• 5 THGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE MCU'S FIRST OPENLY GAY SUPER-POWERED CHARACTER
• MARVEL’S FIRST GAY SUPERHERO DEFEATS EVIL, MAK HISTORY ETERNALS TRAILER
• MARVEL'S PHASTOS: BRIAN TYREE HENRY'S OPENLY GAY THE ETERNALS CHARACTER EXPLAED
• WHY THE 'ETERNALS' GAY COUPLE ACTUALLY ISN'T THE FIRST IN MCU HISTORY
• COULD 'ETERNALS' MOVE THE NEEDLE THE MIAST BY PUTTG A GAY CHARACTER ON SCREEN?
• MARVEL'S THE ETERNALS NFIRMS OPENLY GAY CHARACTER: 'HE'S MARRIED, HE'S GOT A FAY'
• THE GAY SUPERHERO ‘ETERNALS’ IS ‘WHAT AUDIENC HAVE BEEN WAG FOR,’ SAYS GLAAD (GUT COLUMN)
• ‘ETERNALS’ REPORTEDLY PULLED SDI ARABIA AND GULF NATNS OVER GAY SUPERHERO
• HOW ‘ETERNALS’ ESTABLISH THE MCU’S FIRST GAY SUPERHERO AND SAME-SEX COUPLE A MOVIE: ‘IT’S LIFE-SAVG’
• ANGELA JOLIE SLAMS ‘ETERNALS’ BAN: ANYONE THREATENED OR ANGRY BY GAY ROL IS ‘IGNORANT’
• ‘ETERNALS’ ACTOR HAAZ SLEIMAN ON BEG ARAB AND OPENLY GAY THE MCU, THE FILM’S ‘IGNORANT’ BAN MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRI (EXCLUSIVE)

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

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.

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

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’S FIRST GAY SUPERHERO DEFEATS EVIL, MAK HISTORY ETERNALS TRAILER

(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.

MARVEL'S PHASTOS: BRIAN TYREE HENRY'S OPENLY GAY THE ETERNALS CHARACTER EXPLAED

"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.

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.

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.

WHY THE 'ETERNALS' GAY COUPLE ACTUALLY ISN'T THE FIRST IN MCU HISTORY

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 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.

COULD 'ETERNALS' MOVE THE NEEDLE THE MIAST BY PUTTG A GAY CHARACTER ON SCREEN?

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).

MARVEL'S THE ETERNALS NFIRMS OPENLY GAY CHARACTER: 'HE'S MARRIED, HE'S GOT A FAY'

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. The Eternals trailer offers the brieft of glimps at Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), the first gay superhero a major Hollywood anchise. Dcribed as an “telligent ventor” an acpanyg summary, the character will reportedly break ground by sharg the film stud’s first onscreen gay kiss wh his hband, played by out, gay Lebane actor Haaz an terview, Sleiman said the climactic smooch was an emotnal moment on set, pecially given s importance to LGBTQ+ reprentatn.

The Eternals will feature the first openly gay Marvel character the form of Brian Tyree Henry’s isn’t jt a big step for Marvel Studs, uld be a giant leap for LGBTQ reprentatn the movie dtry. (Image cred: (FX))Brian Tyree Henry’s Phastos Will Have A Hband And A FayIt has been nfirmed that the Brian Tyree Henry’s Phastos will be the first openly gay character the MCU and he’ll be married and have a fay.

It should be noted that Phastos’ gay sexualy is not part of the ics any way but he is a small enough character the universe for not to be changg anythg massive om the source material. Sleiman is an openly gay actor himself who is of Lebane scent.

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

It's unmon for an openly gay man to play a gay man a major stud film and uld be an important moment of reprentatn for the LGBTQ muny. Brian Tyree Henry's character Phastos the upg Eternals is the first openly gay superhero a Marvel movie. Some of the now-leted plats and negative reviews allegedly pertaed to the change the sexualy of Brian Tyree Henry's Phastos, who is the first openly gay superhero a Marvel movie — but who was not the ics.

In 2019, Marvel Print Kev Feige nfirmed Henry's character was gay, makg him the first wh an LGBTQ storyle the Marvel Cematic Universe.

Haaz Sleiman and Brian Tyree Henry play Marvel's first gay uple on screen Eternals. We fally know who will be playg the gay character Marvel's The Eternals, and 's not Richard Madn.

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

When was announced that the superhero film -- which will troduce a team of celtial superhero Marvel hop to turn to the next Avengers -- would clu an openly gay male character who was married wh children, many hoped (or assumed) that the Rocketman star would play the role. " Sounds openly gay to me!

This nfirms Marvel boss Kev Feige's ments om Augt that the stud's first gay male character would have a fay, so seems that Marvel is mted to followg through on the crease diversy they've promised. RELATED | Marvel's First Gay Male Superhero Will Be Married Wh Kids.

The reason Henry's character is drawg such a buzz is that he's a gay fay man. Keep md that Henry playg a homosexual man isn't all that surprisg to see onscreen.

HOW ‘ETERNALS’ ESTABLISH THE MCU’S FIRST GAY SUPERHERO AND SAME-SEX COUPLE A MOVIE: ‘IT’S LIFE-SAVG’

It's a monumental moment for dividuals strivg to see more characters like themselv on the big screen, except dienc need to know Phastos and his hband aren't the first gay Marvel uple.

Ni and Karola perta to Marvel's Eternals bee they're actually the first gay uple onscreen, not Phastos and his hband.

ANGELA JOLIE SLAMS ‘ETERNALS’ BAN: ANYONE THREATENED OR ANGRY BY GAY ROL IS ‘IGNORANT’

LOS ANGELES - When "Eternals, " the first movie the Marvel Cematic Universe featurg a gay superhero, rolls out the Arab world on Thursday, the Disney-distributed blockbter will, unsurprisgly, skip releas Sdi Arabia, Kuwa, Qatar, Bahra and Oman, maly due to s LGBTQ the star-studd superhero pic will still screen for dienc the Uned Arab Emirat, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Ethpia, Palte, Syria and Turkey. This, self, is somethg of a breakthrough for the regn: Excisg the same-sex kiss between gay superhero Phastos (played by Brian Tyree Henry) and his hband Ben (Haaz Sleiman), don't remove the fact that the "Eternals" versn beg screened movie theaters a large swathe of the Middle East will still feature the two men, who are married wh a, which has cled to ment, is unrstood to have been unwillg to acmodate requts for different cuts ma by var censorship boards several Middle East natns — somethg they've been willg to do on past films. It don't mean they didn't chop anythg out of "Eternals" for the Middle East; 's jt that, this time, Disney was willg to make only one versn of "Eternals" that would be acceptable across the Arab world, acrdg to the "Eternals" cut that will play parts of the Middle East, all scen of timacy — both gay and straight — have been cut, which is standard for the markets.

‘ETERNALS’ ACTOR HAAZ SLEIMAN ON BEG ARAB AND OPENLY GAY THE MCU, THE FILM’S ‘IGNORANT’ BAN MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRI (EXCLUSIVE)

S., where he me out as gay 2017, has praised Disney for takg a harr stand agast Middle East censorship this time. And earlier this year, Disney's "Cella" was not granted a release certifite Qatar sce the lol censorship board intified the Artie character as LGBTQ and wanted him removed om film, which stead played other Middle East gay, lbian and transgenr people face persecutn across most of the Arab world where same-sex relatns are agast the law. In Sdi Arabia, homosexualy n be punished by floggg or ath.

"As for whether "Eternals" will move the needle, Hefzy add: "It's hard to speculate whether 's a trend that's gog to ntue terms of more openns to gay them" or whether is, stead, "jt a one-off. Marvel Studs print Kev Feige nfirmed another openly gay character will be g The Eternals.