When Doctor Strange arrived in 2016, observers pointed out that Tilda Swinton’s casting as the Ancient One was another example of Hollywood whitewashing. The character was predominantly depicted as an Asian man in the comic books, but the Marvel Studios team wanted to go with Swinton regardless. For a new Men’s Health cover story on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu, Marvel’s chief creative officer Kevin Feige discussed what went into the problematic choice and how its aftermath was a “wake-up call.”
“We thought we were being so smart, and so cutting-edge,” said Feige. “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.”
This isn’t the first time someone involved in the movie has admitted the casting was a poor choice, as director Scott Derrickson conceded as much in an interview with the Daily Beast in 2017. “We weren’t going to have the Ancient One as the Fu Manchu magical Asian on the hill being the mentor to the white hero,” he said at the time, explaining the reasoning behind the choice. “Whatever price I have to pay for the decision I’ve made, I’m willing to pay.”
Despite the criticism, Swinton went on to reprise her role for a cameo appearance in Avengers: Endgame. As she explained back in 2016 to IndieWire, she was very much aware of the “offensive racial stereotype” attached to the character of the Ancient One in the comic books. She said that there was a “kind of misunderstanding” around the character prior to release, and she hoped audiences would embrace the character regardless.
