Tilda Swinton feels ‘collateral damage’ of Doctor Strange ‘whitewashing’ controversy
White star of Marvel comic-book adaptation, who plays The Ancient One - a Tibetan man in the original story – thinks critics of her casting have misunderstood production team’s intentions
Doctor Strange star Tilda Swinton believes the controversy over her casting as The Ancient One, a male Tibetan character in the Marvel comic book on which the film is based, is born of a misunderstanding. The British actress told SCMP.com the film’s production team had been surprised by the row, which had left them feeling like “collateral damage”.
Swinton, 55, is in Hong Kong to promote the superhero movie alongside co-star Benedict Cumberbatch, director Scott Derrickson and Marvel Studios executive producer Kevin Feige.
“I really want people to see the film to understand why we were surprised by it, because it all felt a little like a misunderstanding about the film that we’ve made,” she said. “It felt like we were slightly collateral damage.”
Hong Kong is one of three cities (the others being London and New York) involved in a key plot detail of the film, and features in a climatic scene late on.
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch in Hong Kong to kick off global promotion of film Doctor Strange
The film tells the story of neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch) who, after losing the use of his hands in a car accident, discovers a hidden world of sorcery. Swinton is cast as Strange’s mentor, the Ancient One.