NS: Why Dr. Strange's Ancient One is a woman

[lucean]

I just wanted to share this writer explanation as I honestly found it kind of hilarious. So, as some of you may be aware, there has been some dislike about the fact that Tilda Swinton was cast as the Ancient One in Dr. Strange, as the character in the comics was a Tibetan man. The interview can be found here: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/27/world/asia/china-doctor-strange-tibet.html?_r=0

It is a really interesting summary of the interview. Something that baffled me in it was that the writers argument about the Ancient One being an oriental stereotype is true, but what I continue to struggle with is that if they decided to change the ethnicity of the Ancient One because of that, why did decide everything is Tibetan. So in an attempt to avoid racial sensitivity, they decide to have a white person have teach another white person to be the bestest magic while dressed in Tibetan clothes in a Tibetan building surrounded by Tibetan people in Tibet.

The comment that killed me, though, was how insulting the writer considered casting a Chinese woman to act a Tibetan character.

Comments

[md84]

I guess it's because the Oriental trappings of Doctor Strange's origin were considered too important to the character to ditch, but for some reason they were adverse to casting an actual Asian actor.

Is it weird that the The Shadow movie from 1994 did a better job with casting? They at least had Asian actors Brady Tsurutani (even if he is Japanese instead of Tibetan) and John Lone (even if he's Chinese instead of Mongolian) portray the Tulku and Shiwan Khan respectively. TBF, they also had Tim Curry playing an American.

Now that I think about it, it's also a bit weird that a 1994 movie based on a 1930's pulp fiction series had more named major Asian characters portrayed by Asian actors than the entire series run of Firefly and Serenity despite that series being set in a verse that's half Chinese.

[lissa_quon]

Oh HAH - I was thinking of The Shadow film today when folks were complaining about Strange.

Yea its a tad hilarious that The Shadow movie did a better job handling casting. That film also had the scientist exposition guy who was also an asian dude. Like a well to do asian dude - they could have probably made him anything but nope Asian dude.

I mean I happen to like that movie but usually I don't think "oh how progressive it was" - until now I guess. Welp so much for improving with time.

[cygnia]

If I recall correctly, Dr. Tam was one of the Shadow's actual agents in the pulps.

[silicondream]

I guess it's because the Oriental trappings of Doctor Strange's origin were considered too important to the character to ditch

Hell if I know why. Strange's style of mysticism doesn't have much of anything to do with Buddhism or Taoism or anything, and the Ancient One's other student was a dude from Transylvania. They could have the Ancient One based out of Manchester and it would make just as much sense.

[grumman]

I guess it's because the Oriental trappings of Doctor Strange's origin were considered too important to the character to ditch, but for some reason they were adverse to casting an actual Asian actor.

"An actual Asian actor" still probably wouldn't work. Chinese-Americans are the largest Asian-American demographic so I assume they represent the largest group of Asian-American actors, but casting a Chinese-American actor as a Tibetan isn't going to stop people yelling at you, given the whole occupation of Tibet. There are only 9,000 Tibetans in the entire United States, so it's unlikely that you're going to find one who happens to be a B- or C-list male actor old enough to pass as "The Ancient One."