'Doctor Strange' news: Tilda Swinton speaks out on whitewashing issue, new teaser revealed
Marvel's popular comic book "Doctor Strange" will now have its film adaptation and it has been confirmed to be launched later this year. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the titular role of Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange, alongside Tilda Swinton who will be Strange's mentor named Ancient One.
The film recently had everyone talking when news first broke out about famous actor Cumberbatch taking the lead role, but now it is under fire for "whitewashing" Asian characters. In the original comic books, the Ancient One is a Tibetan-born male, which apparently will be played by Swinton. During last night's screening of Swinton's film "A Bigger Splash," she responded to the issue via The Hollywood Reporter. "Well, it's not actually an Asian character — that's what I need to tell you about it,"the actress said. "I wasn't asked to play an Asian character, you can be very well assured of that... You just have to wait and see, because it's not an Asian character."
The film follows the life of neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange after he gets in a terrible car accident which will completely alter his life. Strange will be introduced to alternate dimensions as well as a hidden universe of magic. Co-screenwriter C. Robert Cargill recently discussed the newly-released teaser in a podcast via Comic Book Resources where he mentioned that the movie is nothing short of "crazy," but in a good way. "This teaser is, it's the definition of a teaser. You are only getting a like a small taste of just how crazy this movie gets. We have only just the slightest hints of magic in there," he said.
Cargill also mentioned that several major characters were not present in the teaser, giving fans more reason to look forward to the film. "There are major characters you don't even glimpse in that trailer, there is so much stuff going on, that this thing is just nutty, the stuff they let us do, I can't believe they let us do it. Like, just... [Marvel Studios head] Kevin Feige and other producers like Stephen Broussard would be 'How can we make it crazier?' and I was like 'Aw right, let's play around.' It's just a hell of an experience," adds the screenwriter.
"Doctor Strange" premieres this year on November 4, and the trailer can be viewed here.
