Following reports that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may not screen in Saudi Arabia due to a scene involving Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez, the actress has faced harrassment on social media.

Earlier reports revealed that Saudi Arabia’s strict laws against homosexuality meant the Doctor Strange sequel was facing troubles there. The country’s censors had requested Disney edit out a sequence in which Xochitl’s Gomez’s character, America Chavez, referenced her “two moms,” but Disney has refused to make the change. Consequently, it looks likely Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will not be released in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, like Eternals before it.

In the wake of the reports, Xochitl Gomez, who is 15 years old, has been subject to a wave of deplorable harrassment from a small but unfortunately vocal number of commenters on her latest Instagram post. The offensive comments included a user calling Gomez “the reason I can’t watch the movie on [sic] cinema” and another who told the Marvel star “Get out of the Marvel universe! You destroyed Marvel so many countries refused!” Other comments did not reference the film directly, but simply leveled deeply inappropriate abuse at Gomez.

Since these initial negative comments, however, fans have flocked to the post to offer their support and appreciation for Xochitl Gomez and her role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Users have commented “we love you,” “we are proud of your work” and “the rest of us (REAL fans) are so excited to see you on the big screen next week!!” In a post on her Instagram story, Gomez thanked her fans, saying:

“Thank you everyone for all the supportive DMs. You all have been so kind and lovely. It warms my heart!”

While it is saddening to see the hateful comments aimed at the young Doctor Strange actress, the support from Xochitl Gomez’s fans and Disney’s refusal to censor the positive LGBTQ+ representation in the upcoming Marvel film offer some hopeful reprieve.

Here is the synopsis for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness:

The MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.

Directed by Sam Raimi from a script written by Michael Waldron, the film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, with Michael Stuhlbarg, Rachel McAdams, and Patrick Stewart.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6, 2022. Meanwhile, the first Season of Loki is now streaming on Disney Plus, with Season 2 currently in development. Stay tuned for all the latest news on the upcoming film and series, and subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.

Source: Instagram (via The Direct)