NextSharkNextShark.com

‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ set to lose millions in potential revenue as China release prospects dim

‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ set to lose millions in potential revenue as China release prospects dim

Nearly a week after its successful global release, Marvel Studios’ newest film “Thor: Love and Thunder” has yet to get a release date in China. 

July 12, 2022
SHARE
Nearly a week after its successful global release, Marvel Studios’
The fourth installment of the Thor franchise and the latest in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is at risk of being denied approval by Chinese film regulators purportedly due to its LGBTQ content. 
“Thor 4” will be the seventh consecutive Marvel superhero movie to be blocked in China, according to sources from two major cinema chains in China who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter.
Pixar’s “Lightyear,” which was also recently denied a release in China, is believed to have been blocked due to a scene involving a same-gender kiss
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter

A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.

Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.

Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.

Chinese regulators have previously struck out content that involved LGBTQ themes in both movies and TV shows.
The new Thor film is believed to be encountering resistance from Chinese censors due to its known LGBTQ characters. 
China, which is now the second-largest film market in the world – second only to the U.S. –added $112 million to the global revenue of “Thor: Ragnarok” back in 2017.  
The MCU films that China has blocked thus far include “Black Widow,” “Eternals,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”
“Doctor Strange 2,” which was released on May 5, included LGBTQ character America Chavez and a pro-Taiwan newspaper briefly spotted in a city magazine kiosk.
“Thor 4” is expected to suffer the same fate as Disney has recently maintained a stance to not remove gay references and content in its films just to appease government censors in international markets. 
 
Featured Image via Marvel Entertainment
MOST READ
    HAPPENING NOW
      Ryan General

      Ryan General is a Senior Reporter for NextShark

      SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

      RELATED STORIES FROM NEXTSHARK

      Support
      NextShark's
      Journalism

      Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.

      Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.

      We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.

      © 2023 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.