'Doctor Strange' News, Spoilers: Writer Clarifies Remarks on Casting Controversy; Benedict Cumberbatch Says Film Has a 'Very Different' Feel
"Doctor Strange" screenwriter C. Robert Cargill has attempted to clarify his comments about the casting of the Ancient One in the upcoming Marvel superhero film, saying that what he said in a recent podcast was merely his own opinion and not at all reflective of the studio's stance on the matter.
In an interview last week on the "Double Toasted" pop culture podcast, Cargill offered an explanation behind the decision to cast "Snowpiercer" actress Tilda Swinton, who is Anglo-Scottish, in the role of the Ancient One, who is traditionally depicted as a Tibetan male in the Marvel Comics.
According to Cargill, Marvel decided to scrub the character of its Tibetan origins because depicting a Tibetan character and/or acknowledging that Tibet is an actual place could anger the Chinese people and their government, and place the film at the risk of getting banned in China, which is one of the largest film markets in the world.
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In the film, the Ancient One is depicted as being of Celtic origin and is based in Kathmandu, Nepal.
In a series of tweets posted on Monday, April 25, Cargill explained that his comments on the Asian whitewashing controversy were only his own and that Marvel had not discussed the issue of China with him.
"CLARIFICATION: that interview answer going around was to a question from a fan specifically about MY JUSTIFICATION, not Marvel's," Cargill wrote.
"FOR THE RECORD: no one at Marvel or with the film ever talked to me about China, so contrary to headlines, I didn't confirm anything," he explained in another tweet.
Following Cargill's podcast comments, Marvel released an official statement on Swinton's casting, confirming the actress's earlier statements that the Ancient One is not an Asian character. As the studio explained, the Ancient One is not a particular individual, but a title passed down from person to person.
Meanwhile, "Doctor Strange" star Benedict Cumberbatch recently spoke to Empire about the upcoming superhero extravaganza, saying that the film is very different from previous Marvel offerings.
"It's a very different feel, different hero and different set of circumstances to what we've seen before," the actor said. "It's another moment during Marvel's evolution."
Director Scott Derrickson echoed Cumberbatch's comments and added that the difference Cumberbatch spoke about is also reflected in the film's visuals.
"We felt free to go as far as we could imagine," he explained, "so we're doing a lot of things that I think have not been done before."
"Doctor Strange" drops November 4.
