Angelina Jolie Calls 'Eternals' Ban in Gulf Countries Over Gay Characters 'Ignorant'

"Eternals" Angelina Jolie has a choice word for the Gulf countries choosing to ban showings of the blockbuster movie because of the film's LGBTQ representation: "Ignorant."

As reported by Indie Wire, Jolie spoke out against the film being banned in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar after Disney and Marvel refused to edit out the film's LGBTQ content – which includes a gay kiss between Marvel's first out superhero Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) and his husband Ben (Haaz Sleiman).

"I'm sad for [those audiences]. And I'm proud of Marvel for refusing to cut those scenes out," Jolie told Australia's News.com.au about the ban. "I still don't understand how we live in a world today where there's still [people who] would not see the family Phastos has and the beauty of that relationship and that love. How anybody is angry about it, threatened by it, doesn't approve or appreciate it is ignorant."

In the film, Phastos family is a huge plot point for his character, who was already written to be the first openly gay superhero in Marvel's cinematic universe before the film even found a director.

Once Chloé Zhao signed on to direct the flick, she made it known that she hoped the film's LGBTQ representation would not be censored, saying "I don't know all the details, but I do believe discussions were had and there's a big desire from Marvel and myself – we talked about this to not change the cut of the movie. Fingers crossed."

So far, Marvel and Disney have stood firm on that promise. "Eternals" is out now in theaters nationwide.