The much-anticipated Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to be released worldwide on May 6, 2022. The film will be playing all over the world except in a few countries. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and several others have banned the film after Disney refused to censor brief LGBTQ+ references in Doctor Strange 2. At the center of the controversy is the character of America Chavez, Marvel’s first openly gay Latin-American superhero, played by newcomer Xochitl Gomez.

The 16-year-old actress has been facing harassment online for the past month for playing the character. Gomez has also faced blame from some middle-eastern fans for being the reason they’ll miss out on Multiverse of Madness. Gomez and Benedict Wong appeared for an interview with AsiaOne recently. When asked how she felt about Disney’s stance, Gomez commended the studio for not compromising on showing America Chavez’s sexuality in Doctor Strange 2.

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Hearing this Benedict Wong quickly jumped to his young co-star’s defense and slammed the people who’d harass a teenager for simply doing her job. “It’s not okay. It’s not okay,” Wong said. “We have to all collectively understand that… She auditioned aged 13 and she joined us aged 14, one of the youngest actors to join the MCU of a film of that magnitude. You know, she’s just a young girl playing her role and full praise for that.” He further added:

“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. 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.”

“There’s a real level of shame for all those trolls that are cowards not to actually put their face [out there], and they should feel a deep shame of what they’re doing. Let’s all just play nice. Let’s all just enjoy what we are representing. It’s sad that fans in that country won’t get to see this. But all we are doing is radiating representation, voicing the voiceless. And that’s all that we can do — represent people so that they can be seen.”

Xochitl Gomez is Proud of Playing America Chavez

     Image via The DisInsider

Xochitl Gomez is keeping her head high and paying no attention to her haters. She is proud of representing one of Marvel’s few LGBTQ+ and Latinx superheroes and hopes to feature alongside more MCU characters in the future. “It’s huge that I get to represent these communities that maybe haven’t felt seen before,” she told Deadline before calling America Chavez “a positive representation of Latinas in particular because, in the past, there hasn’t been much of that. America is positive, charismatic, and she’s resilient.”

Gomez recently said she’d love to join the Young Avengers team with Kate Bishop and others. With Doctor Strange 2 reviews out now, fans have some idea of what to expect from the film. Sam Raimi’s direction, Danny Elfman’s background score, the action, and the cast’s performances, including Gomez’s, are said to be the highlights of Doctor Strange 2, while the story has received some criticism. The film also introduces several new characters, and some casting choices are sure to leave fans stunned.

Anyway, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness remains one of Marvel’s most important projects yet and will have a major effect on the MCU’s future. Be sure to check it out in theaters from May 6 onwards.