The studio defends its decision to cast the actress in the role of the Ancient One after criticisms were thrown at them for 'whitewashing'.
- Apr 28, 2016
AceShowbiz - Marvel Studios is finally stepping up to address the controversy surrounding the casting of Tilda Swinton in "Doctor Strange". The character in the upcoming movie defies almost everything that has been portrayed in the comic books, from its gender to its race.
The Ancient One, in the original Marvel comics, is a powerful sorcerer usually depicted as an elderly, Tibet-dwelling Asian man. The film version presents a white and androgynous individual who lives in Kathmandu, Nepal. When Swinton's casting was first announced last year, the filmmakers were accused of "whitewashing" the non-Caucasian role.
In a statement to Mashable, Marvel defended, "Marvel has a very strong record of diversity in its casting of films and regularly departs from stereotypes and source material to bring its MCU [Marvel Cinematic Universe] to life. The Ancient One is a title that is not exclusively held by any one character, but rather a moniker passed down through time, and in this particular film the embodiment is Celtic. We are very proud to have the enormously talented Tilda Swinton portray this unique and complex character alongside our richly diverse cast."
Swinton herself told THR last week, "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." The pic's scribe C. Robert Cargill additionally said that casting a Tibetan in the role would have been a risky move.
"He [the Ancient One] originates from Tibet, so if you acknowledge that Tibet is a place and that he's Tibetan, you risk alienating one billion people who think that that's bulls*** and risk the Chinese government going, 'Hey, you know one of the biggest film-watching countries in the world? We're not going to show your movie because you decided to get political'," he said.
"Doctor Strange" arrives in theaters November 4.
