Marvel movies and comics have had a complicated relationship with China over the years. On one hand, China represents a massive market opportunity for Marvel due to its huge population and growing middle class. On the other hand, China’s censorship laws and restrictions on foreign content have frequently prevented Marvel properties from being released in the country.
In this 5000 word article, we’ll take an in-depth look at Marvel’s history in China, including which movies and shows have been allowed, which have been banned or censored, and why. We’ll also analyze the cultural and political factors that have influenced China’s treatment of Marvel.
Quick Summary
– Many Marvel movies like Avengers and Iron Man have been allowed in China, and made huge profits there. Others like Shang-Chi were banned.
– Marvel TV shows are more restricted. Wandavision was removed from Disney+ in China after one episode.
– Comics face less censorship than movies/shows. Marvel can self-censor comics for the Chinese market.
– China’s film board is wary of Marvel’s supernatural elements and values. But also wants Hollywood blockbusters for soft power and box office.
– Politics plays a role too. Films critical of China/Chinese culture (Shang-Chi) or showing Tibet (Doctor Strange) risk getting banned.
Marvel Movies in China – Hits and Misses
Marvel’s massive cinematic universe of interconnected superhero franchises has found major success in China ever since the original Iron Man film was released in 2008. In fact, China is the largest international market for Marvel films outside of North America.
Hits like Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, and Captain America: Civil War each earned over $200 million at the Chinese box office. Others like Iron Man 3 and Avengers: Age of Ultron also had strong China showings, with each surpassing $120 million.
In total, over $1.3 billion in box office revenue has been generated by Marvel films in China. Given China’s appetite for big-budget sci-fi and action blockbusters, combined with Marvel’s kid-friendly stories and colorful visual spectacle, it’s easy to see why these superhero epics have appealed to Chinese audiences.
However, China’s notorious censorship system has barred a number of Marvel releases from screening in the country. Films containing subject matter seen as unfavorable by Chinese authorities are typically rejected or edited before release.
For example, 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings—the first Marvel film centered on an Asian superhero—was banned in China over stereotypical depictions of Chinese culture. Specifically, the villain’s 10 magical rings and the mystical city of Ta Lo were called out for promoting outdated Orientalist tropes.
Doctor Strange was denied a China release in 2016 due to controversies over the Tibetan origins of the Ancient One character. Given China’s tensions with Tibet’s sovereignty movement, overt references to Tibet are typically scrubbed from Hollywood films seeking distribution in China.
Overall, while the MCU is largely welcomed in China for its broad appeal, overt political commentary, occult themes, or subtext deemed harmful to Chinese values have triggered bans for select Marvel titles.
Marvel Movies Approved for Release in China
| Film | China Box Office |
| Avengers: Endgame | $629 million |
| Avengers: Infinity War | $359 million |
| Captain America: Civil War | $180 million |
| Iron Man 3 | $121 million |
| Avengers: Age of Ultron | $240 million |
Marvel Movies Banned in China
| Film | Reason for Ban |
| Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | Negative Chinese stereotypes |
| Doctor Strange | References to Tibet |
| Deadpool | Sex, graphic violence |
Marvel TV Series in China
Marvel’s small screen adventures have faced greater challenges entering China compared to its cinematic blockbusters. China’s content regulators place stricter limits on foreign TV/web shows, especially for streaming platforms.
Disney+ is not available in China yet, preventing MCU shows like Wandavision and Loki from reaching Chinese viewers. Disney+ was rumored to launch in China in late 2022, but no official plans have been announced. Given Disney+’s lack of mature content, it could still get approval despite China’s animosity toward Western streaming services.
When WandaVision did air briefly in 2021 on Disney’s China streaming channel, the offbeat supernatural sitcom was pulled after just one episode. Likely reasons include its bizarre plot involving witches, alternate realities and undead beings—themes often suppressed in Chinese media.
Prior to the Disney+ era, Marvel’s Netflix shows had better luck in China. Titles like Daredevil and Jessica Jones aired on Chinese platforms, albeit with heavy censorship. Again, violent and sexual content was cut or blurred out per Chinese broadcast standards.
So while Marvel mania continues in China’s theaters, Chinese viewers have limited options to watch the MCU on TV and streaming. And when they do air, the shows are modified to align with Chinese censorship norms.
Marvel Comics in China
Unlike Marvel’s big screen adventures of The Avengers and X-Men, the original comic books they sprang from face relatively few restrictions getting into China.
Marvel comics are imported and translated for sale in China’s bookstores and online shops. However, they are also proactively edited by Chinese Marvel distributors to avoid sensitive themes before publishing. Self-censorship allows the comics to keep circulating rather than face government bans.
Edits and omissions to Marvel comics center around political issues like Tibetan independence and Taiwanese sovereignty. Religious imagery may also be scrubbed, as China discourages organized faiths.
For example, covers showing Doctor Strange in Tibet are swapped out. References to Nightcrawler’s Catholic faith get removed. Plotlines about registering mutants, which echo authoritarian systems, are rewritten. This localized filtering enables Chinese fans access to Marvel comics, albeit without the riskier subject matter.
Another key factor is that comics reach a smaller audience than Marvel’s wildly popular films. So the comics attract less scrutiny from Chinse regulators compared to movies and shows distributed nationwide.
Overall, Marvel comic books remain fairly accessible in China thanks to self-censorship and their niche status versus Marvel’s silver screen offerings.
Why is Marvel controversial in China?
There are a few recurring reasons Marvel properties often find themselves under scrutiny in China:
Supernatural elements
Marvel stories are packed with mysticism and mythology, whether it’s Thor’s Asgardian gods, Doctor Strange’s sorcery, or ghosts in Ant-Man. Supernatural concepts are viewed unfavorably in officially atheist China. References to demons, witchcraft and the occult are scrubbed clean from media viewed as perpetuating “superstition”.
Individualism over collectivism
Chinese culture tends to emphasize collectivism, duty and obedience to authority. Meanwhile, Marvel heroes often rebel against institutions and operate independently based on their own morale codes. Some rogues like Deadpool even mock authority outright. China sees these antiestablishment archetypes as undermining social harmony.
Portrayals of China and Chinese culture
Negative or backwards stereotypes of Chinese people, history and mystical elements (like the Mandarin in Iron Man 3) anger Chinese audiences. Positive portrayals like Shang-Chi’s cultural roots weren’t enough to offset controversies like the Ten Rings. Avoiding Orientalist tropes remains a balancing act for Marvel.
Political commentary and allegories
Marvel plots about registration of superpowered beings (Civil War), totalitarian regimes, rebellion and surveillance all have touchy parallels in China. While these political themes are largely tolerated, direct attacks on Beijing’s policies and governance would cross the line.
LGBTQ characters and relationships
China has grown more tolerant of LGBTQ diversity recently, though same-sex marriage remains illegal. Marvel’s limited LGBTQ representation, like Valkyrie in Thor, is accepted so far. But overt advocacy risks backlash given lingering taboos.
Does China censor Western entertainment more than other countries?
China has stricter, more extensive censorship of media and arts than democratic nations which enjoy free expression. However, China is not uniquely strict when compared with other authoritarian regimes. Its censorship program reflects common sensitivities:
Political dissent
Disparaging the ruling party is off-limits in any autocracy. China bans anti-Communist Party messages. This resembles how North Korea prohibits anti-Kim content.
History and national mythos
Revising struggles and past leaders is unacceptable, like the Tiananmen Square memory wipe. Former Soviet states likewise banned anti-USSR history.
Ideological cohesion
Enforcement of state dogma, whether religious or political, is standard. Saudi Arabia scrubs atheist material while China suppresses religious organizing.
Sexual morality
Conservative social values prevail in many totalitarian and religious societies. China also heavily restricts sexual content deemed decadent or obscene.
Overall, while the scale of China’s population and economy grabs global attention, its media controls follow familiar authoritarian patterns. Unique local sensitivities like Tibet shape the specific content suppressed by Chinese censors alongside broader ideological concerns.
Why does China allow any Marvel movies at all?
Given the clash of Western values in Marvel movies with Chinese censorship priorities, why does China allow them to be shown at all?
There are a few key factors that make Marvel films worth accepting for Chinese regulators despite controversial elements:
Pop culture and artistic merit
China understands that Hollywood franchises like Marvel have become an indispensable pillar of Western pop culture and the global zeitgeist. Regardless of politics, there is artistic merit in Marvel’s cinematic universe that has elevated the superhero genre. A total Marvel ban would deny Chinese fans part of 21st century creative culture.
Box office profits
Marvel films may promote Western identity, but they bring in major ticket sales and revenue sharing. Blocking them forfeits profits from one of the world’s most lucrative film franchises. The business incentive helps offset ideological concerns.
Prestige and soft power
Hosting glitzy Marvel premieres and allowing Hollywood megahits boosts China’s profile as an entertainment epicenter. Its growing market clout signals China’s cultural and economic ascendancy, even if the content has Western roots.
Goodwill and trade interests
Banning every Western film with objectionable themes could strain diplomatic and trade ties at a time when China seeks deeper global integration. Allowing Marvel movies helps ease cross-cultural relations.
In summary, China’s cost-benefit analysis seems to conclude that accepting some Marvel films, with select bans on controversial titles, balances commercial interests and ideological goals. The box office numbers suggest Chinese audiences agree.
Conclusion
Marvel’s superheroes have divided opinion in China. On one side, the action and spectacle provide fun entertainment for Chinese fans. On the other, the supernatural themes and rebellious spirit conflict with Chinese broadcasting rules and cultural values.
Ongoing censorship reflects this tension between China’s eagerness for American blockbusters and wariness of their alien influences. Certain films and characters remain outright banned, while others make it to the big screen with careful editing.
As Marvel continues expanding its cinematic universe and pumping out new movies annually, China will likely employ a case-by-case approach. Some franchises and heroes will smoothly pass screening, whereas others are labeled as insensitive or subversive threats.
But the mammoth popularity of Marvel movies suggests China’s audiences have already voted with their wallets in favor of these superhuman adventures, despite the cultural differences. For better or worse, Marvel mania has firmly taken root across China just as it has globally. The forces trying to contain it face odds as daunting as any Avengers villain.
