Whether or not you want to admit, there’s only one sure-fire way to bring more anticipation to a movie: Cast Tilda Swinton.
The British actress is not only known for her androgynous look, but also for the powerful performance she delivered in both arthouse and mainstream films. Now, it seems like she could be portraying yet another powerful character as sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Swinton is in negotiations to join Benedict Cumberbatch to star in Marvel’s “Doctor Strange“. Swinton is said to take on the role of The Ancient One.
Created by Stan Lee, The Ancient One is a Tibetan mystic who made his first appearance in 1963’s “Strange Tales #110”. He was born with a great talent for sorcery and has fulfilled that potential through extremely long years of studying and training as he’s been alive for more than 500 years. As a Sorcerer Supreme, he possessed a greater knowledge and mastery of the mystic arts than anyone else on Earth.
The Ancient One was also the mentor of Dr. Stephen Strange, a formerly cocky surgeon who discovered magic while searching for ways to heal his damaged hands. He teaches Strange to become the next Sorcerer Supreme by taking him as an apprentice. At one point, The Ancient One has served as a foe to Strange, but it is unclear which version of the character Marvel will use.
The studio was initially searching for a male actor to portray The Ancient One, but the studio “rethought the role and made it female”. Even though a female Thor was already introduced in the comic books, this marks the first gender-swapped character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Swinton certainly looks like someone who can portray the female Ancient One as she has had experience portraying a gender-swapped character in the DC Comics movie “Constantine”. Despite her eccentric personality, the actress has proved her talent countless times in Hollywood. She appeared in Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and the sci-fi epic “Snowpiercer” last year and both movies were highly praised by critics.
Swinton, who won an Oscar for her portrayal in 2007’s “Michael Clayton”, will be seen next with Amy Schumer in Judd Apatow’s upcoming comedy, “Trainwreck”.
Directed by Scott Derrickson, “Doctor Strange” is set to begin filming this November in the U.K. before its release on 4th November 2016.
