Tilda Swinton Cast As The Ancient One for Marvel's Doctor Strange

Marvel took us to the past with Captain America, explored the nine realms in Thor, and took us to an adventure in space. Now we're about to see a part of the Marvel universe that has never been explored before: the supernatural. The 2016 movie Doctor Strange opens up a lot of new possibilities for the world that Marvel has built, giving us a look at the mystical part that has been missing in the franchise.

Benedict Cumberbatch, known for his role as Sherlock in the tv series, has been cast to play the titular character. 12 Years a Slave star Chiwetel Ejiofor joins him as the doctor's nemesis Baron Mordo, which is described as an "amalgamation of characters culled from Doctor Strange's mythology." Along with this news came the rumor that Tilda Swinton was being pursued by Marvel to play the Ancient One in the film. Looks like the rumors were true.

During an interview with ScreenCrush, Swinton confirmed that she has finally accepted the deal with Marvel. She will play The Ancient One in the big screen and will perhaps appear in the following films as well. She was very enthusiastic when asked about what brought her to accept the role. "Well, there’s no particular interest in getting into something bigger, or even smaller, I just really liked the premise of this and the idea of playing this character," said Swinton. "I’m a Marvel fan and I think this particular world that Doctor Strange goes into is really, really, really exciting. I’m really interested as both an actor and a fan to see what’s done in this particular world. It’s all about creativity. It’s not about everything exploding at the end. It’s about something very different. The idea of playing The Ancient One is really just too tickling. I can’t say no to that!"

She doesn't say how she will tackle her portrayal of the role, but she said she's excited to figure it out. Swinton also wasn’t worried about the multi-picture deals that are attached to starring in a Marvel film, saying that at this point it's like "holding on to the tail of a galloping horse".

In the comics, the Ancient One is a Tibetan mystic who will teach Dr. Strange in the ways of the mystic arts so he could become the next Sorcerer Supreme. The character is usually portrayed as an old tibetan man, but Kevin Feige confirmed that they are changing the origin of the character to avoid the controversial points that the story was known for back in the day. The Ancient One will instead be a mantle, having been passed on for generations.


Tilda Swinton doesn't shy in playing mysterious and otherworldly characters, and she has done a great job in her projects. This casting might just be the perfect decision, even though the fans might not agree with the change.

Production hasn't started yet, but it will begin shooting next year at the Pinewood's  Shepperton Studios filming location. Marvel has had a close relationship with Shepperton, having used their studios as filming locations in their previous films. We're guessing that this will be where Swinton will be spending most of her shoot, knowing that the film will rely mostly on special effects and CGI backdrops for its magical aspects.

Doctor Strange opens to theaters on November 4, 2016.