Golden Screen Cinemas, Malaysia’s largest cinema chain has announced that Thor: Love and Thunder will not be screening in Malaysia.
The announcement follows the news earlier this month that Marvel‘s latest feature film was being delayed “indefinitely”. Prior to that, it was scheduled for a delayed release on July 21. No official statement has been made regarding why the superhero blockbuster is not going to be released in the country. However, Malaysians on social media have speculated that it could be due to the inclusion of a same-sex kiss scene.
It is currently unclear if the film will be released on Disney+ in Malaysia as well.
Thor: Love and Takde. Officially. ⚡️💔 pic.twitter.com/4iMZbOcs7j
— GSC (@GSCinemas) July 28, 2022
Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) also urged patrons to purchase Thor-related merchandise from them on their statement. In a statement to Malay Mail, the CEO of GSC, Koh Mei Lee explained that “Malaysian cinema-goers will find alternative ways, “legal or illegal”, to watch the movie anyway, leaving the cinemas with a “major” revenue loss when the industry is trying to recover from two years of pandemic public health lockdowns.”
Disney’s Lightyear will also not be screened in Malaysia, and although no official statement has been made about it either, it is speculated that it has been banned frim for the same reason as Thor’s.
In a four-star review of Thor: Love and Thunder by NME’s James Mottam, he wrote: “Parenthood, relationships, responsibility, and mortality all come into play as Thor, well, grows up. Best of all, like Ragnarok before it, it’s tremendously entertaining. Welcome to the jungle, indeed.”