It recently came to light that Saudi Arabia had threatened to pull Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness from theaters in the region because of a brief reference America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) makes to her "two moms" at one point, and it looks like the reality-hopping hero's parents are actually going to appear in the movie.
One Take News reports that actresses Ruther Livier and Chess Lopez have been cast as America’s mothers in the sequel. We don't know the extent of their roles, but assume they won't be significant. Lopez is a relative newcomer with a few short films on her resume, while Livier has appeared in 90210 and done some voice-acting in video games such as Sly 3, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Dead Rising 3.
If true, this is an interesting development. Saudi Arabia clearly had an issue with Chavez mentioning that she was raised by a lesbian couple, but there's been no indication that they objected to the characters appearing on screen. In any event, Disney has declined to make the requested cuts, so In The Multiverse of Madness will effectively be banned in the Kingdom as well as Kuwait and Qatar.
The social media embargo lifts this Monday, so we'll get the first reactions to Sam Raimi's sequel then. Our review will follow on Tuesday.
In Marvel Studios’ 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.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, with Michael Stühlbarg, and Rachel McAdams. The film is directed by Sam Raimi, and Kevin Feige is the producer. Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Eric Hauserman Carroll and Jamie Christopher serve as executive producers. The screenplay was written by Michael Waldron.
The Doctor Strange sequel releases in U.S. theaters on May 6, 2022.