Tilda Swinton Cast as The Ancient One

[Whiskey Tango]

Strange welcomes the melding of eastern and western worlds, and all they have to offer, but I would not say he practices Eastern magic, he practices inter-dimensional and universal-based magic. He takes everything that this world has to offer to enable him to protect the world in a better manner, and skipping out on half of it would be neglectful.

Dr Strange has plenty to distinguish himself from the other magic wielders. Virtually none of them have the same 70s psychedelic high fantasy stye. Stripping that away from him to turn him into a bad Buddhism cliche would be missing the point.

 

[Mike Murdock]

Dr Strange has plenty to distinguish himself from the other magic wielders. Virtually none of them have the same 70s psychedelic high fantasy stye. Stripping that away from him to turn him into a bad Buddhism cliche would be missing the point.

As for why his books have struggled for decades? I'm going to blame it on bad writing, or more precisely, repeatedly sticking writers on it who are unsuited for the title. Dr Strange is not an Avenger, he shouldn't *be* an Avengers, so if you keep having writers whose idea for any given character is "give them Avengers plots", your going to have issues.

Also, psychedelic drug use has declined since the 70s

 

[Strangefan]

Well, the really powerful psychedelic drugs have perhaps decreased, but marijuana has mild psychedelic effects, and is the most popular in the world. Just sayin'

 

[jaqua99]

At first, I was disgusted with this decision to cast Tilda. Naturally, I felt that way because Ancient One is a man and too much of a deviation from the source character (not sexism, just different from the source). However after about a minute I was more objective, and it's the essence of the character that counts. That coupled with the movie being Dr. Strange's movie, I'm totally cool with this decision. Great actress but it certainly adds some diversity to the film, especially with Mordo.

 

[Keyser Soze]

Anyone see Trainwreck? Tilda Swinton is fantastic in it. She's always great.

 

[Nokio]

Wong will be the " token " Asian in the movie. The good doctor became who he was in Asia under the training of an Asian man known as the Ancient one. This has been taken away. A pity.

It won't hurt the movie overall as Doctor Strange was never as popular as other characters.

When's the last time you saw a Hollywood flick with an Asian actor in the lead role or in a significant best supporting role that was not a martial arts film? Think about that for a moment.

The Ancient one, if properly cast could have been the answer to the above question.

John Chu as Sulu in Star Trek.
Just sayin, some are there but its sad their isn't more.

 

[Nokio]

Well a woman who's skilled in magic has an edge over other commonly born women. I would doubt that she would be ignored by the small mystical community. It's silly to even compare mystical humans to normal ones.

 

[Nokio]

I'm surprised at the so few excuses here with the casting of Tilda and how most are accepting. It just shows the double standard by many here regarding a certain race only when a character's race is changed. Tilda or Bill Nighly who was under consideration for the role no problem but MBJ (who's not a poor actor and not his fault the movie tanked)as Human Torch and the boards all over the net light up with hate. I know some will try and say that the opposition against Tilda is the same or that the Acient t One is a small character and blah blah blah, but the fact is the comments about her are different and kind and she's a great actress and Marvel should be honored to have her and the few against her casting comments are very tame but they add in she's great and nothing personel. Not the the same over Johnny Storm, the attacks on MJB were not only hate filled but also personel. I don't mind her in the role and i too like her and will give her a chance as I know she wont disappoint but they should've kept TAO an Asian male.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Unless you have a little notebook in which you kept specific names from the MJB nonsense and are now comparing them to posts made regarding Swinton I would ask you to please stop painting the entire forum as filled with angry double-standard-supporting racists.

 

[marcvader]

Wheres all the hate for Mordo's race change?

 

[metaphysician]

Wheres all the hate for Mordo's race change?

Probably overwhelmed by excitement that we got *Chiwetl Ejiofor*.

 

[Keyser Soze]

I'm surprised at the so few excuses here with the casting of Tilda and how most are accepting. It just shows the double standard by many here regarding a certain race only when a character's race is changed. Tilda or Bill Nighly who was under consideration for the role no problem but MBJ (who's not a poor actor and not his fault the movie tanked)as Human Torch and the boards all over the net light up with hate. I know some will try and say that the opposition against Tilda is the same or that the Acient t One is a small character and blah blah blah, but the fact is the comments about her are different and kind and she's a great actress and Marvel should be honored to have her and the few against her casting comments are very tame but they add in she's great and nothing personel. Not the the same over Johnny Storm, the attacks on MJB were not only hate filled but also personel. I don't mind her in the role and i too like her and will give her a chance as I know she wont disappoint but they should've kept TAO an Asian male.

I don't think it's the same thing. The Ancient One is hardly a great, iconic Asian character, he's a cipher of a role that has been made infinitely more interesting by casting an actress the caliber of Tilda Swinton. Marvel likes their decorated, all-star ensembles, and while I can think of a few highly talented Asian male actors, I can't think of any that have the degree of widespread acclaim and recognition amongst American audiences that Tilda Swinton has. Along with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Benedict Cumberbatch, that's an ensemble filled with Academy Award nominees.

Plus, in some ways it could be LESS racially problematic for the Ancient One not to be Asian. I wouldn't be surprised if many of the online commentators attacking Marvel for white-washing here were the same people raking Marvel over the coals for giving us a "wise Asian mystic" stereotype in Madame Gao. If they put a wise Asian mystic in one of their stories, it's racist, and if they don't, it's also racist?

Also, I was all for the casting of Michael B Jordan as Johnny Storm, and thought the criticisms against him were largely ignorant. And I'm perfectly happy for Chiwetel Ejiofor to be playing Baron Mordo - he was also on my shortlist of actors I wanted to play Strange.

 

[Nokio]

Unless you have a little notebook in which you kept specific names from the MJB nonsense and are now comparing them to posts made regarding Swinton I would ask you to please stop painting the entire forum as filled with angry double-standard-supporting racists.

Well you can downplay all you want but it doesn't change all the hate filled posts regarding MBJ being cast as Storm. I also said on the net, not just this site.

 

[Loki882]

It's a mixed bag. On the one hand, you have a female who's mentoring a male hero, which almost NEVER happens in this genre. On the other hand, you did "whitewash" an Asian character. So I'll wait and see how they do it before making any final judgments.

Oh and I found most of the "complaints" against MBJ to be ridiculous.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Well you can downplay all you want but it doesn't change all the hate filled posts regarding MBJ being cast as Storm.

So what? This isn't the Fantastic Four section. This reeks of stirring the pot, just like the nerd media has been doing for the last year and a half. "Got nothing else to discuss? Bring up the MBJ thing out of the blue again, that'll get some hits."

I also said on the net, not just this site.

I'm surprised at the so few excuses here with the casting of Tilda and how most are accepting. It just shows the double standard by many here

Yeah you threw in a mention of the net. It's still pretty clear what you meant though. Whatevs.

If they put a wise Asian mystic in one of their stories, it's racist, and if they don't, it's also racist?

Yes. The actual endgame is not inclusivity, but having a cause to trumpet about to ones peers. What that specific cause is doesn't matter as long as it allows one to appear charitable and virtuous by standing up for the little people.

 

[NHawk19]

Tilda is an interesting choice. As someone else pointed out her look is rather androgynous. It may lend itself well to this. She even played Gabriel in Constantine, an angel traditionally shown as male.

With make-up and special effects they can pretty much do anything, and for her they've done some pretty freaky stuff in the past.

 

[bubbadoom]

Tilda is an interesting choice. As someone else pointed out her look is rather androgynous. It may lend itself well to this. She even played Gabriel in Constantine, an angel traditionally shown as male.

With make-up and special effects they can pretty much do anything, and for her they've done some pretty freaky stuff in the past.

I would not be surprised if she plays the Ancient One as a male character...

 

[Guard82]

Yeah, it's entirely possible that Tilda could play the Ancient One as a male character if she wanted to. On the other hand, she might play the Ancient One as female because it would be very unique to have a male superhero being trained by a female mentor. Mentors for superheroes have almost always been male, so if we get a movie in which the mentor is female and is educating a male superhero, that would really make the movie stand out because it's something we haven't seen before.

 

[Lilbaz]

They have obviously changed the ancient ones origin. I'm guessing they are trying to make the character more other worldy (maybe not completely human?).

For the record i have no objection to a black man playing Mordo. Just think it would be a bit silly for a black man to play an eastern european baron. We'll wait and see how they work it in the film.

 

[Strangefan]

I still think the Ancient One will be an androgynous spirit form. I mean, if you are Sorcerer Supreme, why would you have someone technically higher than you. I think it is because they can't interact physically with this plane.

 

[Nokio]

They have obviously changed the ancient ones origin. I'm guessing they are trying to make the character more other worldy (maybe not completely human?).

For the record i have no objection to a black man playing Mordo. Just think it would be a bit silly for a black man to play an eastern european baron. We'll wait and see how they work it in the film.

Ahh and so it begins. It starts small and then the tidal wave.

 

[Nokio]

Tilda is an interesting choice. As someone else pointed out her look is rather androgynous. It may lend itself well to this. She even played Gabriel in Constantine, an angel traditionally shown as male.

With make-up and special effects they can pretty much do anything, and for her they've done some pretty freaky stuff in the past.

Lord no, please i hope you dont mean they can use make up to make her An old asian male?

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Ahh and so it begins. It starts small and then the tidal wave.

What does?

 

[OokieSpookie]

Swinton is amazing and brilliant.
This is amazing casting.
People like to throw the word "trope" around and well the old asian guy teaching somebody is as cliche as it gets.
This has great possibilities.

 

[Lilbaz]

Ahh and so it begins. It starts small and then the tidal wave.

???. Wouldn't you think it a bit silly if an african tribal leader was played by a white or asian actor?