Tilda Swinton reveals how she unexpectedly ventured into world of superheroes with 'Doctor Strange'

Tilda Swinton

With Doctor Strange - the latest offering from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) - set to hit cinemas this Friday, there's a chance that audiences will be torn between Benedict Cumberbatch's new superhero avatar and the enigmatic Tilda Swinton. As The Ancient One, she will be seen performing martial arts and opening new dimensions with the whisk of a hand-fan.

Despite the 'whitewashing' criticism levied against Swinton's role - for the original Ancient One in the comics series was that of a mystical Tibetan male - it's rare in superhero comics or cinema history (and that's not just limited to Marvel) to have the superhero mentored by a woman.

As director Scott Derrickson tells us, "I was thinking of actresses who wouldn't be young like Scarlet Witch or Black Widow, but wanted to introduce a real woman into the MCU - a strong character." What does Swinton have to say about The Ancient One? We met her in Hong Kong earlier this month to find out. Edited excerpts from the chat:

You have been acclaimed for your roles in indie cinema. What's it like to be part of a mainstream Marvel superhero movie?
Making a film is a democratic business and the ambition is always a little ahead of what you can really do, whether you are doing something for 1,00,000 pounds, or a Marvel film. That said, when you walk in front of a camera that is making a Marvel film, it feels different.

Your role as the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is etched in our minds. Do you think The Ancient One will make us forget the White Witch?
I wonder if anything can. They are related in a way and maybe, they will meet somewhere. Perhaps, in a movie, Disney will bring the White Witch and The Ancient One together.

Roles for women become limited past a certain age, but it doesn't seem to be a problem for you...
It's an issue in general and the cineaste in me is tired of that. But, I tend to operate as an artiste outside of the industry and honestly, it isn't an issue for me. Marvel and Scott notwithstanding, I have produced my work, created opportunities for myself and had fun. For an audience, it is a bit tiring to stick oneself to the avatar of the male gaze.

Scott Derrickson stated that you were cast as The Ancient One for the aura of mystery, ethereality and androgyny that surrounds you. Is 'androgyny' a term you have been comfortable with?
Well, I have worked with androgyny my whole life. I started with Orlando - it was about a man who turns into a woman. I made a one-woman show about a woman who dresses as a man. I worked with what I know and what I look like; that's my material and interest and the nature of what I have worked with my whole life as an artiste. I am not conscious about it at all.