Not everybody has showered Sony’s hit sequelSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Versewith praise. The film has been banned in the United Arab Emirates for reasons that haven’t been officially disclosed. However, there are some theories as to why this happened.
TheSpider-Manfilm left fans with many questions, and not all of them dealt with its surprise cliffhanger. What’s Spider-Punk’s story?Will Miles and Gwen get together in the nextSpider-Versemovie? What about all those other spoilerific questions about the ending? Viewers have several topics to discuss in the wake of this experience. But one interesting topic dealing with Gwen’s personal identity may have escaped the notice of many, and it could have something to do with the UAE ban.
RELATED:Across the Spider-Verse: Sony Needs to Up the Game on Their Other Spider-Projects
As reported byVariety, the ban seems likely to be connected to a “Protect Trans Lives” poster seen briefly in oneAcross the Spider-Versescene. This wouldn’t be the first time the UAE has banned a film purely for an innocuous depiction of LGBTQ+ themes or even the tiniest mention of them, as the country also enacted a similarban on Pixar’sToy StoryspinoffLightyeardue to a same-sex kiss in one scene. This will be a shame for many in the UAE looking forward to the sequel, as the previous filmInto the Spider-Versemanaged to get a release there. But it’s also worth noting that the flag in one scene may not just be a completely isolated moment.
Many viewers have been speculating about a potentialdetail surrounding Gwen inAcross the Spider-Verseregarding her possible status as a transgender-coded character. During the film, many of her personal story arc beats resonated with trans fans who noticed similarities to their own lives. Gwen Stacy (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) hides her true identity from her father, which creates a rift between them, and when she “comes out,” that rift seems to only grow at first. Combining that with the use of the trans flag colors in certain scenes (at one point, Gwen’s hair appears to prominently sport those colors), it’s not difficult to see where this idea is coming from.
While Gwen is never explicitly confirmed as trans, it’s not outlandish to assume these themes were intentional.BothInto the Spider-VerseandAcross the Spider-Verseare very tightly-made films with every detail accounted for, and it’s a bit hard to believe something like the trans-coding wasn’t specifically planned. Transgender people, especially youths, are currently in the fight of their lives all over the world against harmful legislation seemingly hellbent on stamping them out of existence. So it wouldn’t be surprising to see writers and producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller make a statement of sorts on the issue, no matter how subtle.
It’s a genuine shame that the folks in the UAE won’t get to enjoy the laughs andcameos inAcross the Spider-Verseproperly, as it’s a genuinely good time (even despite the audio mixing issues). Here’s hoping things eventually turn around. There are some things certainly worth fighting for, and the protection of trans lives is absolutely one of them.
