Doctor Strange casting of Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One was a mistake: Kevin Feige

MCU President Kevin Feige discusses that the decision was to avoid the cliché of casting an Asian actor for the role

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige during a recent interview admitted that the controversial casting of actor Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One in 2016’s Doctor Strange was a mistake. According to reports, the film producer, 47,  said the uproar over casting Swinton as the Tibetan magic arts guru was “a wake-up call”.
“We thought we were being so smart and so cutting-edge. We’re not going to do the cliché of the wizened and old Asian man. But it was a wake-up call to say, ‘Is there any other way to figure it out? Is there any other way to both not fall into the cliché and cast an Asian actor?’ And the answer to that, of course, is yes,” Feige said.

Kevin Feige. Pic/AFP

At the time, accusations of “whitewashing” the character saw Marvel claim it supported creative freedom in casting. “Marvel has a 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,” a statement issued at the time said.

The statement added, “We are proud to have the enormously talented Tilda Swinton portray this unique and complex character alongside our richly diverse cast.”
Websites reported that the Suspiria actor herself said that casting her in the role was an attempt to avoid offensive racial stereotyping, avoiding “this kind of Fu Manchu, an ancient man sitting on top of a mountain called The Ancient One. They made this decision to not perpetuate those racial stereotypes.” Meanwhile, a sequel to the 2016 film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, is currently scheduled for March 25, 2022. The movie will see Benedict Cumberbatch return as Doctor Strange, Rachel McAdams will be back as Dr Christine Palmer.

Also read: All you need to know about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

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