Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may soon be blocked from release in China—but not for reasons that anyone could predict. According to a new report from Deadline, the film is facing backlash for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it reference to a newspaper that opposes the Chinese government.
During an action scene featured in several of the film’s teasers, we see Doctor Strange fighting a monster on a busy New York street. In the background, eagle-eyed viewers noticed a yellow newspaper box. It advertises The Epoch Times, a far-right publication with an international readership—and a very troublesome reputation.
In the U.S., The Epoch Times has faced criticism for spreading right-wing misinformation and conspiracy theories like QAnon. But in China, it’s primarily known for its harsh opposition to the Chinese Communist Party, and for its association with the controversial Falun Gong religious movement. Even a tiny onscreen reference is enough to risk Doctor Strange 2 being banned in Chinese markets.
The film hasn’t officially been rejected by Chinese censors yet, but Deadline reports that the Epoch Times scene attracted a lot of negative attention on Chinese social media. Meanwhile, the pro-CCP tabloid Global Times has published an aggressively negative op-ed accusing Hollywood of “advertising” The Epoch Times and Falun Gong.
It’s likely that this whole controversy is down to human error. Disney prefers to avoid making extreme political statements in its movies, and the studio has no interest in alienating the Chinese market. In fact, the first Doctor Strange movie allegedly rewrote a main character to avoid references to Tibet, a provocative topic in China. In the case of this Epoch Times scene, director Sam Raimi and his production team probably didn’t realize the newspaper box would be problematic. The movie shot some scenes on location in New York, meaning the box may have been in the background by pure coincidence.
In theory, it’s easy to remove this kind of detail in post-production. However, this may not make any political difference if the film has already been deemed controversial on Chinese social media—especially since the MCU is already on thin ice, with Avengers: Endgame being the last film to receive a Chinese release. Meanwhile, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has already been banned in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar due to the inclusion of a queer character. Even with the relatively banal blockbuster fare of the MCU, Disney can’t keep everyone happy.
