China has lifted its unofficial ban on Marvel films, and both ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ and the upcoming ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’ have release dates.
The most recent Marvel film to be released in China was ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ in 2021, followed by ‘Avengers: Endgame’ in 2019, with the franchise generally popular with Chinese audiences.
China Lifts Ban Against Marvel Movies
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ was released in most of the world last November, but it was not allowed in China.
The “Ant-Man” sequel will be released on February 17 in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. as well as other countries.
China’s film officials denied the films’ release for a variety of reasons, most notably reported political and cultural sensitivities. ‘Thor: Love and Thunder,’ for example, was rejected due to LGBTQ+ themes.
Due to the inclusion of a character with two lesbian mothers and a scene involving a newspaper kiosk that had the Chinese characters for the Epoch Times, a publication critical of the Communist party, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was apparently refused a release.
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Films Hit Asian Theaters
Most American films have been denied theatrical releases in China in recent years, with only a few exceptions.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, ‘Wakanda Forever,’ which was released in theaters in November, was initially denied a release in China due to a brief depiction of a same-sex relationship between two female characters.
‘Wakanda Forever’ has earned $835 million worldwide, trailing its predecessor, which earned $1.3 billion. China contributed $105 million to the total.
While the release may help ‘Wakanda Forever’ get closer to $1 billion, the sequel may struggle to attract audiences in China after being available elsewhere for nearly three months. Piracy may be an issue, particularly after it debuts on Disney+ and digital-rental platforms on February 1.
The country is also under lockdown due to an increase in coronavirus cases. That hasn’t stopped ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ from becoming a smash hit in Japan. After a slower-than-expected start, the film has so far grossed an impressive $212 million at the Chinese box office, which is close to the $262 million earned by the first film.
Late last year, the country began to relax its stance on Disney films, allowing “Avatar: The Way of Water” access to its market, where it has earned $220 million so far.
While China has never given an official reason for denying major American studios theatrical releases, it is widely assumed that it is due to political tensions between the two countries.
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