Kevin Feigehas revealed his regrets in castingTilda Swintonas the Ancient One inDoctor Strange, admitting that he should have looked for a way to cast an Asian actor in the role without resorting to the stereotypical depictions of the character seen in the comic books.
At the time, the decision wasjustified in canonby explaining that much like the title of Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One was a mantle passed down to many people throughout history, with the movie’s directorScott Derricksoncrafting the part specifically for Swinton under the assumption that avoiding the Fu Manchu-esque connotations of Doctor Strange’s mentor was the smartest way to avoid controversy.
Swinton might be one of the finest talents of her generation, but her casting still drew criticism from many quarters, even if the actress outlined in the buildup to release that she’d never been asked to play an Asian character, nor would she have accepted such a role either.
Based on his track record as the brains behind the most commercially successful franchise in the history of cinema and current role as President of Marvel Studios and Chief Creative Officer for Marvel Comics, Marvel Television and Marvel Animation, Feige’s hits drastically outweigh his misses, but in an interview withMen’s Health(via/Film) he acknowledged this casting was a misstep.
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“We thought we were being so smart, and so cutting-edge. We’re not going to do the cliché of the wizened, old, wise Asian man. But it was a wake-up call to say, ‘Well, wait a minute, 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.”
It’s a somewhat similar situation to that of The Mandarin, another potentially harmful Asian stereotype that was incorporated intoShane Black’sIron Man 3via the big reveal that the terrorist leader was jobbing actor Trevor Slattery all along. However, Marvel One-ShotAll Hail the Kingretconned that twistby confirming that the Mandarin was very real and not too happy about someone using his name for their own agenda.
Tony Leungwill play the role of The Mandarin in September’sShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, although his origins have again been tweaked slightly, with the legend of Hong Kong cinema starring as Wenwu, the father ofSimu Liu’s title hero. That in itself is another necessary deviation whenShang-Chiwas initially introduced into comic book continuity as a child of Fu Manchu.
Swinton did briefly return as the Ancient One as part ofAvengers: Endgame’s time heist, but she’s not expected to be involved inSam Raimi’s sequelDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which hits theaters next March.
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