Back in May it was reported that Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin, Snowpiercer) had entered talks with Marvel Studios for the role of Dr. Stephen Strange’s mentor The Ancient One in the upcoming Phase Three release Doctor Strange, and now Swinton herself has confirmed that it’s a done deal.
“We’re so far in talks that we’re not talking any more [laughs],” Swinton tells Screen Crush. “It’s done. I just really liked the premise of this and the idea of playing this character. 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!”
Doctor Strange is to be directed by Scott Derrickson (Sinister), with Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) set for the role of the Sorcerer Supreme alongside Tilda Swinton (Snowpiercer) as The Ancient One and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) as Baron Mondo. The film is slated for release on November 4th 2016.
Originally published July 15, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
