Marvel's Kevin Feige Admits Backlash to Tilda Swinton's Doctor Strange Casting Was a ‘Wake Up Call'

Marvel/Alamy; Inset: Albert L. Ortega/Getty

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is addressing Tilda Swinton's controversial casting in 2016's Doctor Strange.

For Men's Health new cover story on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu, Feige, 47, admitted backlash to Swinton's casting as The Ancient One, who was originally Tibetan in the comic books, was "a wake up call."

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"We thought we were being so smart and so cutting-edge," Feige told the magazine of casting the Scottish Oscar winner. "We're not going to do the cliché of the wizened, old, wise Asian man."

He added, "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."

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Marvel Studios defended Swinton's casting in 2016, saying it supports diversity and creative freedom within the film industry.

"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 [Marvel Cinematic Universe] to life," the statement read. "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."

Marvel The Ancient One in Marvel Comics

The statement continued: "We are very proud to have the enormously talented Tilda Swinton portray this unique and complex character alongside our richly diverse cast."

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Swinton, 60, spoke to IndieWire about her casting in 2016, saying, "[Director] Scott [Derrickson] will tell you that he made this very clear decision with Kevin Feige and the whole team to change The Ancient One from the rather, what they considered, offensive racial stereotype in the comic books. This kind of Fu Manchu, ancient man sitting on top of a mountain called The Ancient One. They made this decision to not perpetuate those racial stereotypes."

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At the time, Derrickson apologized for the casting choice, telling The Daily Beast, "I really felt like I was going to be contributing to a bad stereotype," adding he'd considered changing the character to a female but that when he envisioned an Asian actress portraying the character she "was a straight-up Dragon Lady" in his imagination.

A sequel for the film is in the works with Benedict Cumberbatch returning as the lead character, Doctor Strange. Rachel McAdams is also set to reprise her roles as Dr. Christine Palmer, a surgeon and Strange's love interest.

The film will also reportedly star Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong and Elizabeth Olsen.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to hit theaters on March 25, 2022.

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