Disney Indefinitely Postpones ‘Thor: Love & Thunder’ In M’sia, Netizens Allege Nudity Concerns…

By Lara Kramer  •  14 Jul 2022 in News

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Since the beginning of the month, Malaysian Marvel fans have been faced with a confusing back and forth as the original premiere date for Thor: Love and Thunder was delayed two whole weeks – from July 7 to July 21.

Via promotional clips of the film, fans worldwide caught a glimpse of a nude Thor, played by heartthrob Chris Hemsworth, filmed from the back and therefore putting his ‘steel buttocks’ on display.

While the official reason behind the film’s delay in local cinemas has yet to be disclosed, many have speculated that it was most likely due to the mild nudity that did not occur in other Marvel films which have premiered successfully in Malaysia.

However, it has been confirmed that the postponement came from Disney, rather than a government body or other local authority.

Two popular cinema chains, TGV and GSC, both took to Twitter to announce the indefinite rescheduling.

Breaking News: @DisneyStudiosMY has confirmed that the release of #ThorLoveandThunder in Malaysia is now postponed indefinitely. We have to wait a little longer until we have the new release date from our beloved #Disney.

We appreciate your kind understanding & patience.😔 pic.twitter.com/bgBDJlwGjm

— TGV Cinemas | #TontondiTGV 🇲🇾 (@TGVCinemas) July 13, 2022

THOR UPDATE:

Disney has updated us that the release of #ThorLoveandThunder in Malaysia is now “TBA” – release date is now undated. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience in this matter as we await more updates from Disney.

— GSC x Mat Kilau 🇲🇾 (@GSCinemas) July 13, 2022

Neither company confirmed the justification behind the delay and simply apologised to disappointed fans, who tweeted complaints of receiving spoilers of the film due to its international release.

“By the time the movie comes out here, Malaysians would have watched half of it on Twitter already,” said one netizen, while others chose to seek humour in the matter:

Others also assumed that Disney was requested to remove the scene before releasing it to local grounds but refused to do so, leading to its now-wavering state.

Meanwhile, CNBC reported that the film’s release pulled in a whopping $143 million during its opening in the United States on July 6. Over the weekend, it is estimated that more than 10 million moviegoers went to see the movie, accounting for approximately 57 percent of all cinema patrons.

Just last month, it was announced that Pixar’s Lightyear would not be shown in Malaysian theatres due to an explicit depiction of homosexuality, namely a short kissing scene between a WLW (woman-loving-woman) pair.

Disney declined demands to cut the clip as the producers believed it was essential to show the “uplifting partnership that reveals to Buzz Lightyear what he’s missing by the decisions that he’s making”.

However, unlike Thor: Love and Thunder, the film was also banned in the Middle East and Indonesia.