Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Black Adam likely won't be released in China
The country's censorship regulations have prevented the two superhero blockbusters from showing in the world's second-largest theatrical market
Once gaining millions in added revenue via China, the superhero blockbuster is now facing hard times getting past the country’s tight film censors. Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Warner Bros.’ DC Comics adaptation Black Adam are both expected to be restricted from releasing in Chinese theaters due to strict censorship regulations in the region, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
While the reasoning wasn’t given by Beijing regulators as to why these two films were blocked from the country, the likely reasons are pretty obvious when you consider past rejected movies. For the Black Panther sequel, the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment showing a romantic relationship between female Dora Milaje warriors Aneka (played by Michaela Coel) and Ayo (Florence Kasumba) likely seems to be the cause for China’s censors blocking it. A similar fate was given to previous MCU films Thor: Love And Thunder and Chloé Zao’s Eternals, as they both were blocked due to their LGBTQ+ representation.
In the case of Black Adam, it’s less the movie and more the actors involved in the project. As The Hollywood Reporter theorizes, the DC film’s issues with China’s censors could arise from a certain photo taken by actor Pierce Brosnan, who plays the mystical Doctor Fate in the film. Specifically, a now-21-year-old photo he posted on his Instagram with the Dalai Lama in 2020, who the Chinese government views as a threatening separatist figure, could be the cause of the restriction.
A similar situation occurred earlier this year when Keanu Reeves’ films were removed from Chinese streaming platforms following his appearance at the 35th Annual Tibet House Benefit Concert, which was organized by supporters of the Dalai Lama.
This continues a recent trend for Disney that is likely not going away anytime soon. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever joins most of the recent MCU releases from being restricted in China, including Black Widow, Eternals, Shang-Chi, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.