Kevin Feige Admits Regret Over Whitewashing Tilda Swinton's Character in 'Doctor Strange'
The Ancient One was initially depicted as an Asian man in the comics.
Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige has previously admitted major regrets regarding whitewashing Tilda Swinton‘s character, The Ancient One, in Doctor Strange.
Feige recently spoke to Men’s Health, officially revealing that in hindsight, an Asian actor should have portrayed The Ancient One. Feige said, “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.”
In 2016, Swinton was cast in the role of The Ancient One, which was initially portrayed as an Asian man in the comic books. At the time, Marvel Studios defend their choice to choose Swinton over an actor or actress of Asian descent stating, “Marvel has a very strong record of diversity in its casting of films and regularly departs from stereotypes and source material to bring its MCU to life.”
The studio added, “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. We are very proud to have the enormously talented Tilda Swinton portray this unique and complex character alongside our richly diverse cast.”
Elsewhere in Marvel news, new Spider-Man: No Way Home set photos have emerged.
