Zack Sharf Benedict Wong is standing up for his “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” co-star Xochitl Gomez in the wake up homophobic internet trolls hating on her due to the LGBTQ character she plays in the new Marvel Cinematic Universe tentpole. “The Baby-Sitters Club” actor Gomez makes her MCU debut in the film as America Chavez, a gay teenager who has the ability to jump between universes.
America’s inclusion in the film and dialogue referencing her lesbian mothers is reportedly the reason the “Doctor Strange” sequel is banned in Saudi Arabia and other territories.
Disney refused to cut the LGBTQ references in the film.“It’s a big deal that America is in this movie. It’s just huge. And I’m just so happy that Marvel has stuck to it and kept the scene in there,” Gomez told Asia One (via The Independent). “And it’s just pretty crazy that I get to be the one who plays America.
Although, yes, my name may be circled within hate and stuff but it’s okay.” When Gomez’s co-star Wong heard about the backlash she’s faced from trolls, he jumped into the interview and said, “It’s not okay.
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