Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has been banned in UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries!

The film is reported to have been prohibited from being released in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates due to censorship rules.

While the cause of the ban is unknown, fans assume it has to do with the brief appearance of a pro-trans flag in the film.

Fans speculate that it is because of the trans-flag in Gwen’s room.

According to Saudi Cinema, which is managed by the General Commission for Audiovisual Media, the highly anticipated animated film would not be released in some parts of the Gulf region, since it ‘contradicts the content controls in force’, reported Unilad.

Meanwhile, Vox Cinemas said on Thursday without explanation that “The United Arab Emirates will not screen Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”.

As reported, major cinema chains in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain do not list this movie on their websites’ “coming soon” sections.

The film wil also not release in Egypt.

The movie has sparked debate online about whether the character Gwen Stacy is trans, as a scene in a trailer shows a sign in the background that reads “protect trans kids”.

SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE was set for a June 22 release in the Gulf region.

The film, a sequel to 2018’s Oscar-winning “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”, was released on June 2 in the United States.