THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER Officially Denied A Theatrical Release In Malaysia

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER Officially Denied A Theatrical Release In Malaysia

Confirming a recent report, it's now been officially announced that Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder has been denied a theatrical release in Malaysia, presumably due to the movie's LGBTQ+ content.

By MarkCassidy - Jul 29, 2022 08:07 AM EST
Filed Under: Thor: Love and Thunder

It's now been officially confirmed that Taika Waititi's Thor: Love and Thunder will not be given a theatrical release in Malaysia.

Malaysian theater operator Golden Screen Cinemas (via Variety) has announced that the divisive Marvel Studios adventure has been denied a theatrical release in the country. This follows a recent report that the movie was expected to be "Indefinitely postponed."

“Dear valued customers, please be informed that Disney has updated that Marvel Studios’ Thor Love and Thunder will not be releasing in Malaysia after all. We appreciate your patience and we apologise for any inconvenience caused,” reads GSC's social media post.

No specific reason was given, but it's assumed that Love and Thunder's LGBTQ+ elements resulted in the ban. Although the movie doesn't feature anything like the same sex kiss from Eternals, for example, it is made clear that Valkyrie is, at the very least, bisexual, and Korg also talks about his "two dads" before settling down with a fella named Dwayne at the end of the film.

It's all very tame, really, but here we are.

Disney hasn't responded, but did confirm to the trade that the release will not go forward. Apparently, cuts were asked for which the studio refused to make.

Thor: Love and Thunder finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor.

Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.

Directed by Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit) and produced by Kevin Feige and Brad Winderbaum, Thor: Love and Thunder  is now playing in theaters.

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Doomsday8888
Doomsday8888 - 7/29/2022, 8:51 AM
My Sandokan bros be like:

Based.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 7/29/2022, 8:57 AM
MachinimaMan
MachinimaMan - 7/29/2022, 9:00 AM
Its okay they'll be fine without it.
OmegaDaGrodd
OmegaDaGrodd - 7/29/2022, 9:01 AM
Marvel:



Malaysia:

OmegaDaGrodd
OmegaDaGrodd - 7/29/2022, 9:06 AM
It is wild how less than 30 seconds of speech can get a whole movie axed from a country, especially one like a Marvel movie, which normally do well there
McMurdo
McMurdo - 7/29/2022, 12:57 PM
@OmegaDaGrodd - I love when you reply to your own posts babe. Its so healthy!
heisei24
heisei24 - 7/29/2022, 9:06 AM
"Apparently, cuts were asked for which the studio refused to make."

Yet they didn't seem to mind when Eternals' kiss and sex scene got cut? I don't get it honestly
Origame
Origame - 7/29/2022, 10:01 AM
@heisei24 - I don't think we need any context for why anyone would want to keep Thor 4 out of their country. It's like wondering why guys don't like getting kicked in the balls.
ElvenKingSlayer
ElvenKingSlayer - 7/29/2022, 10:11 AM
@heisei24 - Was it so? I remember it the other way around. Disney saying no just like here.
heisei24
heisei24 - 7/29/2022, 10:14 AM
@Origame - Oh, I'm talking about Disney, not Malaysia. The country's been removing gay stuff in media for a long time already, it's nothing new. I'm just questioning Disney's change of stance.
Origame
Origame - 7/29/2022, 10:19 AM
@heisei24 - they have no morality. It's whatever can make them the most money.
Itwasme
Itwasme - 7/29/2022, 10:43 AM
@Origame - if it was about money, wouldn't they make the cuts? Marvel's been barred from China for a while now, that's the 2nd largest market in the world.
heisei24
heisei24 - 7/29/2022, 10:45 AM
@ElvenKingSlayer - It was, yeah, I saw it on the first day of release. It definitely was banned in the Middle East though.
Thank god they didn't ban Doctor Strange too, I guess the two mom scene was too subtle for Malaysia's censorship board lol
PapaSpank54
PapaSpank54 - 7/29/2022, 9:13 AM
Off topic, finally finished Falcon and Winter Soldier. Gotta say, warts and all, I liked it a lot. But jeez, pretty hypocritical of Falcon to jump down USAgent's throat for killing a dude who JUST murked his BFF when Falcon iced like 10 people in the first half hour of the first episode. Still, pretty fun show! Looking forward to Sam as Cap and seeing more of USAgent.
Arthorious
Arthorious - 7/29/2022, 9:45 AM
@PapaSpank54 - The only way I see Falcon justifying this is that it was in front people and the guy was surrendering. I like it too, but I wasn't really enthralled with the Flag Smashers agenda. Kind of hoped Zemo would've had more of a villainous presence.
Origame
Origame - 7/29/2022, 10:05 AM
@PapaSpank54 - not to mention one of the first scenes we ever see sam Wilson in this continuity is talking about his friend who died in the line of duty. You'd think he'd be very understanding of what walker is going through, but no. The priority has to be getting the shield off of him.
AC1
AC1 - 7/29/2022, 10:16 AM
@PapaSpank54 @Arthorious @Origame - It's because whenever Sam has killed anyone it's been in the heat of a battle or when his enemies have posed an immediate risk to others nearby, and he's usually killed them pretty quickly. Walker, on the other hand, chased the guy down when he was fleeing, he wasn't even the guy who killed his friend, and then caught up to him and executed him essentially in cold blood in an incredibly brutal and violent way - all while wearing Captain America's uniform and using his shield, meaning he was being held to a higher standard.

The super soldier serum was clearly effecting Walker mentally, clouding his judgement and making him more rageful, which is why Sam and Bucky wanted to stop him so urgently.
Origame
Origame - 7/29/2022, 10:29 AM
@AC1 - first of all, this was in the heat of battle. It was a battle that resulted in his friend dying then it turned to a chase, where these deadly terrorists are now in civilian areas.

Second, he may not have been the one to do that himself, he was still implicated in the actions of the flag smashers, who at this point have killed many innocent civilians. And he's also specifically the guy holding walker back when Carli was killing Lemar. He's definitely guilty of at least assisting in the murder, by going out of his way to make sure he died.

Third, walker was clearly not a threat to anyone by the time Sam and bucky got to him (and if you think he was I don't know why you think the flag smasher wasn't before walker killed him). The only reason he ended up fighting him was when they made it clear they didn't care about him and just wanted the shield.

The only part I'd agree is that the death was particularly brutal. But even then, it's at least understandable.
AC1
AC1 - 7/29/2022, 10:46 AM
@Origame - It's not in the heat of battle if one of them is fleeing. In the heat of battle means they're still actively trading blows. Steve Rogers never sought someone out after the fact to kill them, and neither had Sam.

Beyond that, the guy Walker killed was actively shown to be doubting Karli's increasingly extreme methods and seemed to be fleeing in part because he realised she'd taken things too far. So all Walker achieved in that moment was killing a man who was giving up the fight anyway.

And again it's also related to Walker's poor state of mind at the time - he even tried to justify the killing by saying that the Flag Smasher he'd killed was the one who killed Lamar, which he knew wasn't true (as you pointed out, he was the one restraining him), and Sam and Bucky basically had to call him out on the lie and remind him that they were there and witnessed the whole thing. Beyond that, he then even lied to Lamar's parents and continued to say that the man he'd killed was the one who killed Lamar, leading them to believe he'd avenged their son rather than admitting he'd flown into a blind rage and lashed out.

His actions were more in line with a character like The Punisher than Captain America, and as I'm sure you're well aware most superheroes in the Marvel universe aren't exactly fans of people like Frank Castle and the extremes they go to.
AC1
AC1 - 7/29/2022, 10:49 AM
@Origame - And all that isn't to say that I don't understand why he did what he did. I can empathize with him to a degree, but he was still wrong and it's good that he had to face the consequences for his actions rather than get a free pass because he was upset.
Origame
Origame - 7/29/2022, 11:29 AM
@AC1 - 1) the reason we call it heat is because of the tension of the situation. The whole reason they're there is to stop these terrorists from killing people. Just running away doesn't mean the heat is gone. Especially since he specifically fled into an area full of civilians.

2) I'm sorry, I don't give a single crap about his doubts. Ignoring the fact walker can't know about this, he's still working with her despite his doubts. The blood of all those people is still on his hands and he keeps going along with it without any intentions of trying to stop her or getting the others to see reason. He didn't flee when karli blew up a building full of innocent people. And only fled because Lemar dying meant this supersoldier sent to hunt them is now p!ssed. Like, all he did was give up specifically fighting in that moment. He didn't give up the cause of terrorism. And that still doesn't get past him already killing a bunch of people before.

3) again, that flag smasher prevented him from saving Lemar. He would've been an idiot for not thinking karli was gonna kill Lemar, especially with that doubt your previous point was hanging on.

4) it wasn't extreme. Walker was specifically there to deal with these terrorists. What do you think counter terrorism entails? Seal team 6 didn't care if any of the terrorists working with Osama bin laden were fleeing.

5) never said he shouldn't have. But you and the show make him out to be an absolute villain when supposed heroes do unquestionably worse things in the mcu. Need I remind you of the avalanche black widow didn't bat an eyelash at when yelena caused. Or the town Wanda took over just because she felt sad.
Origame
Origame - 7/29/2022, 11:50 AM
@AC1 - also, what's with the punisher comparison? You do understand he just loves killing any level of criminal, right?

Hell the comics made it clear he would've went on a rampage against some group and only chose criminals because of that incident in the park.
NewNameWhoDis
NewNameWhoDis - 7/29/2022, 11:54 AM
@Origame - the simple fact is that he was the new Cap, and that wasn't Cap behavior. He could have arrested him and interrogated him for the whereabouts of the remaining Flag Smashers but instead he basically decapitated him in a public setting with a shield that is supposed to symbolize freedom and justice and not capital punishment. You're really reaching to try and justify his actions. And I also don't think the show oaints him as an absolute villain at all. It does a really good job of showing his conflict and PTSD and the pressures of a regular solider trying to be a symbol for the whole world. Hes basically a what if story if that jocky bully dude had gotten the serum in First Avenger. What he did was wrong for a captain America specifically. Thats the difference.
Origame
Origame - 7/29/2022, 11:55 AM
@NewNameWhoDis - ok, name one time mcu cap arrested someone.
AC1
AC1 - 7/29/2022, 12:39 PM
@Origame - 1) "In the heat of something" - "To be in the most intense or active stage of some activity or situation" [dictionary.com]
Running away isn't the heat of the battle. The heat of the battle is when it's literally kill or be killed. If someone's running away there are usually many ways to subdue them without killing them.

2) Granted, Walker wouldn't have known the guy had doubts, but that's exactly the point - he took his head off before he got the chance to find out. Setting aside the moral conflict behind whether it was right to kill the guy or not after he'd stopped fighting and was effectively defenseless, there's also the practical element that Walker could've detained him and gotten information about the Flag Smashers that might've made it easier to take them down.

3) The Flag Smasher was fighting Walker but he didn't have a reason to think Karli would kill Lamar; he looked just as shocked as everyone else when it happened, and again him having doubts about Karli doesn't mean he automatically knows what she's going to do in any given moment - that's why they're called doubts, not certainties.

4) He actively chased after a fleeing, potentially surrendering individual and publicly decapitated him using Captain America's shield. That's pretty extreme.

5) I never made him out to be a villain. He's an anti-hero, he fights bad guys but he takes it to extremes. Also if I'm honest the Black Widow comparison is kinda going over my head because that film was a bit of a mess when it came to the action imo, while the WandaVision reference kinda backs up my point because Wanda was clearly in the wrong when she took over Westview (again even though it was understandable). I'm not saying those characters are villains, but they clearly did things that weren't right, and in John Walker's case his actions were absolutely not those of a real Captain America.

Also in response to your later comment to @NewNameWhoDis "ok, name one time MCU cap arrested someone"
Name one time MCU Cap chased someone who was running away and then decapitated them.
Origame
Origame - 7/29/2022, 1:09 PM
@AC1 - 1) dude, a terrorist is running into a crowd of civilians with the power to punch people to death. It's definitely the heat of battle regardless of who's life is on the line.

2) so just stop and let him explain himself? Ever hear about lying? Not mention he already killed and is complicit in the recent murder of Lemar. His continued life objectively is showing to continue the cycle of killing. Also, these are terrorists. They're notorious for keeping quiet under interrogation for anything short of torture. And he's an active risk to civilians. Are you saying it's more moral to risk civilians for potential information he might not give over saving them there by killing him?

3) ...why wouldn't he? She's been killing innocent people left and right, and Lemar is one of the guys specifically there to hunt them. It makes no sense to think she isn't at least gonna try and kill him, and she has the advantage being a supersoldier.

4) he was by no stretch of the imagination surrendering. In fact his fleeing also involved him attacking walker with hunks of concrete.

5) he did one extreme act, and even then it was just the extent in which he ended the guy. Fact is that guy needed to die. And wandavision totally justified her actions. Wtf are you talking about?
Origame
Origame - 7/29/2022, 1:12 PM
@AC1 - also, while mcu cap never specifically decapitated someone running, he did kill the hydra agents in the first avenger who were just fleeing in the climax. And in particularly brutal fashion like throwing them into propeller blades. Now actually answer the question.
Comicmoviejunki
Comicmoviejunki - 7/29/2022, 4:24 PM
@Origame - you talk way too much. 🤣
Origame
Origame - 7/29/2022, 4:32 PM
@Marveladdict - you also talk way too much. 5 words too much.
DarkModeDan
DarkModeDan - 7/29/2022, 4:41 PM
@Origame - Not to start a whole new debate, but what you're describing from the First Avenger might not be the best example to go with for what you're trying to argue...

In the climax, those HYDRA agents you're describing were suicide bombers trying to fly away in piloted bombs with the names of the cities they were targeting literally painted on their little helicopter-rockets.

Captain Rogers did everything in his power to prevent them from getting away and carrying out their mission, almost getting killed in the process.

And he wasn't even the one who was responsible for throwing that one HYDRA pilot into the propeller! They were fighting on top of one of the piloted bombs, and the pilot inside veered up to try to kill both the other pilot and 1st Cap. Rogers just happened to have a better grip.

Not to mention, when 1st Cap ended up breeching the cockpit of the piloted bomb seconds later, he actually chose to EJECT the enemy pilot instead of throwing him out or into the propeller. When he was in control of the situation, and not in direct combat, he made the choice to preserve the life of his enemy when it would have been easier to kill him. That's the essence of Cap. Not a perfect soldier, but a good man.

John Walker IS an excellent soldier, but he's categorically unfit to be Captain America.
Origame
Origame - 7/29/2022, 4:48 PM
@DarkModeDan - look, do you really think that terrorist wasn't gonna kill more people? And again, right after helping to kill Lemar? Come on.
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