It looks as though ‘Doctor Strange’ has just got even stranger… as Tilda Swinton enters talks for a leading role opposite Benedict Cumberbatch.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the enigmatic 54-year-old British actress has been linked to the role of the Ancient One – a mystical mentor to Doctor Strange himself.
“Tilda Swinton is on her way to the Marvel Universe,” they revealed. “The actress is in negotiations to join Benedict Cumberbatch in Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange, being directed by Scott Derrickson.”
“The actress is negotiations to portray the Ancient One,” they explain, “the Tibetan mystic who is a mentor to Dr. Strange.”
Of course, fans of the comic books will know all about the Ancient One – a 500-year-old Tibetan man who was once named as Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, before handing the title to Dr. Stephen Strange.
Acting as a mentor and guide, the Ancient One teaches Doctor Strange everything he knows about the mystical arts… He even passes some of his most powerful relics to the good doctor, including the Eye of Agamotto.
But will Tilda Swinton prove to be the right fit for the role?
I can’t help thinking that this casting choice is a stroke of genius. After all, Marvel is often criticised for their lack of strong female roles… so putting Tilda Swinto as one of the most powerful beings on the planet will certainly help tip the balance back in their favour.
And let’s face it – Tilda Swinton is just brilliant.
Having appeared in as number of rather eclectic movies, her most recent have included ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ and Terry Gilliam’s ‘The Zero Theorem’. And while she’s certainly drawn to some of the stranger films in Hollywood, perhaps that’s what has inevitably led to this rather mystical role.
via yahoo.com
And then here’s her experience in comic book movies.
That’s right – she’s already appeared on screen in a comic book role before – starring opposite Keanu Reeves in the 2005 DC adaptation, ‘Constantine’. Starring as the Archangel Gabriel, she shared some of the best scenes of the entire film, opposite Peter Stormare’s Satan.
But will she lend a touch of gravitas to ‘Doctor Strange’? We certainly hope so.
‘Doctor Strange’ heads to cinemas on 28 October 2016.