The Hollywood Reporter brings word today that Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe) is in negotiations to play The Ancient One in Marvel’s Doctor Strange. No stranger herself to comic book roles, Swinton previously starred in the adaptation of Snowpiercer and 2005’s Constantine.
Secured high in the Himalayan mountains, the Ancient One served as a mentor to Stephen Strange and aided him in his ascendance to Sorcerer Supreme. When the character eventually died, Strange was still able to summon him from the spiritual plane in order to aid him. Though the character has traditionally been male in the comic books, THR notes that Marvel was originally searching for male actors but retooled the role to make it a female.
Scheduled to hit theaters November 4, 2016, Doctor Strange is scripted by Jon Spaihts and is said to follow the story of neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange who, after a horrific car accident, discovers the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions. Scott Derickson will direct the film, which sees Benedict Cumberbatch in the titular role of the Sorcerer Supreme. A previous report noted that 12 Years a Slave star Chiwetel Ejiofor was in talks to play the film’s villain, though this hasn’t been confirmed by the studio.
(Photo credit: Derrick Salters/WENN.com)
