Tilda Swinton is reportedly on Marvel's radar, eyed for a most central role in Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange.
As THR claims, fabulous Tilda Swinton is in talks for playing the very mentor of Steven Strange, namely, the Ancient One.
Swinton is not the first rumored for this part. Back in December 2014, Latino Review maintained Marvel had shortlisted Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe and Bill Nighy for the role.
Back then, Ken Watanabe seemed like the obvious choice, since the Ancient One is, in the comics, a Tibetan mystique, and Watanabe was the only one who complied, race-wise that is.
Now with Tilda Swinton in the limelight, wow, talk about deviating from the comics!!! But I think Tilda Swinton might prove to be an excellent choice for this part! And here's why!
Why choosing Tilda Swinton doesn't entail gender swapping
Tilda Swinton as Gabriel in Constantine
The phrase "gender swapping" spread like wildfire: Marvel won't only "betray" the race of the Ancient One, but also his gender if Tilda Swinton is on board with Doctor Strange!
But does choosing Tilda Swinton for the Ancient One entail gender swapping?
Not many fans embraced Marvel's alleged choice for Sorcerer Supreme: most want the screen version of an established comic book character to remain what they are: race and gender-wise!
Furthermore, some consider it's obvious that if they cast a woman to play the Ancient One, the screen incarnation of the Sorcerer Supreme will actually be a sorceress.
But does it really mean that? Tilda Swinton is an extremely versatile actress, and she didn't make a name for herself by batting her eyelashes: she didn't capitalize on her feminine looks to make it through the film industry.
In fact, she's played masculine / androgynous roles. I can cite here her part in Orlando and her role as Gabriel in Constantine. So, there's a possibility that by casting Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One, Dr. Strange's mentor will remain a man!
However, if Marvel chooses to feature a sorceress instead of a sorcerer, is that really so bad?
Why gender swapping is not a bad idea
The new face of the Ancient One?
Superhero movies rarely follow the comic books they pull from to the letter. Indeed, studios so far confined to juggle with the race of some characters.
Electro was played by Jamie Foxx in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Sony). Perry White was played by Lawrence Fishburne in Man of Steel (Warner). And Michael B. Jordan was cast as the Human Torch in the upcoming Fantastic Four (Fox).
Gender swapping would mean to take the game to another level. And that's fine with me: Tilda Swinton is nothing but a winning card for Marvel!
What do you guys think? Will Tilda Swinton eventually land this role? Does it mean her character will be a female? Is this a smart move from Marvel?
Have your say below! And stay tuned, we’ll bring you the hottest scoop on all things Dr. Strange!
