Along with a response to the controversy, Marvel announced new details for the movie!
[dropcap size=small]W[/dropcap]hen actress Tilda Swinton was cast as the Ancient One for the upcoming Marvel movie Doctor Strange, there has been plenty of controversy surrounding the casting.
There are a few reasons for fans to react this way, including the fact that the character’s gender is the opposite from what the comics make it out to be. Others are disappointed because the race was originally from Tibet in Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s Ancient One. After the first teaser trailer, more controversy stirred up when one of the movie screenwriters compared the casting to Star Trek’s character: The Kobayashi Maru.
Since then, Marvel Studios released a statement regarding the controversy between the two versions of The Ancient One:
“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,” Marvel wrote in a statement to Mashable. “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.”
This isn’t the first time that Marvel has cast a controversial character in the modern era. In Iron Man 3, Mandarin (played by Ben Kingsley) was one of the main villains in the movie and controversy came up with how he was used and what the result was at the end of the movie.
Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is the Supreme Sorcerer, along with Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Benedict Wong as Strange’s servant. Others that have been cast for this movie include Rachel McAdams, Michael Stuhlbarg, Scott Adkins, Amy Landecker and Mads Mikkelsen.
Doctor Strange is directed by Scott Derrickson and the script is written by Jon Spaihts and C. Robert Cargill. This movie will tell the story of Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch), a neurosurgeon who discovers an unknown world filled with magic and alternate dimensions after almost getting killed in a car accident, which will show fans a world never seen before in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Doctor Strange will be released to theaters on November 4th!
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