Tilda Swinton Comments on ‘Doctor Strange’ Whitewashing

Doctor Strange, Marvel

After Captain America: Civil War finishes taking everybody’s money next month, the next film that will be on everybody’s lists is Doctor Strange. The film’s trailer dropped to rave reviews, with the majority of fans looking forward to the mind-bending film. The film has come under great scrutiny for the whitewashing of the Ancient One, played by Tilda Swinton. The Ancient One will serve as Stephen Strange’s mentor and teacher of the mystical arts.

The trailer was brilliant, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you can check it out below:

When Swinton was originally cast, fans of the series loved the casting, because the it will make the character a woman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and not being a male in the comics. The casting also came with a slight bit of disappointment because the character is Asian in the comics born in Tibet, but will be played by a white woman.

Hollywood has recently come under big scrutiny for its whitewashing of roles recently, and it seems that Marvel is not immune from that as well. Swinton spoke to THR about the whitewashing, and has hinted that the character may not be as people would first think. She says:

“Well, it’s not actually an Asian character — that’s what I need to tell you about it. I wasn’t asked to play an Asian character, you can be very well assured of that. You just have to wait and see, because it’s not an Asian character.”

Doctor Strange, Marvel
Concept art from Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange’ starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton. Image: Marvel

Her words may be a bit cryptic, but is she trying to imply that the Ancient One may not be a woman as well? Could there be some traits added to the character for the Marvel Cinematic Universe? These are just some of the things that we will have to wait and see, when the film comes out this November.

Doctor Strange stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, and Rachel McAdams.

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