Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson gave Asian character larger role because Tilda Swinton casting

'I was going to leave Wong out of the movie at first. But once the decision was made to cast Tilda, we brought Wong back'

Marvel’s upcoming film Doctor Strange has been somewhat shrouded in controversy, many fans upset over the Ancient One’s casting.

In the original comic books, the character is a male Tibetan Monk with magical powers, yet in the film is played by Tilda Swinton.

The actor has previously spoken about the casting, dismissing whitewashing claims and calling the film diverse in “all sorts of ways.”

Director Scott Derrickson has snow spoken candidly about the casting choice, saying he was aware of the issue and took steps to address it with Marvel.

Speaking to Los Angeles Daily News, he revealed that Swinton’s casting subverted the stereotype of old Asian guru, yet he was "also very conscious that in doing that I was erasing a significant potential Asian role."

Instead, the character Wong, played by The Martian's Benedict Wong, was made one of the main characters, his comic book origin being completely changed.

Derrickson told the publication: “I was going to leave Wong out of the movie at first; he was an Asian sidekick manservant, what was I supposed to do with that?

“But once the decision was made to cast Tilda, we brought Wong back because, unlike the Ancient One, he could be completely subverted as a character and reworked into something that didn’t fall into any of the stereotypes of the comics."

The director added that a having a diverse cast “was a very conscious decision.” One Swinton, he said: “We’re bringing a middle-aged woman who’s not 28 years old in leather pants into the Marvel Universe in a major role.”

Meanwhile, Marvel has brought forward Doctor Strange’s release date in the UK, changing from 28 October to 25 October.

Doctor Strange, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch in the titular role, also features the likes of Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo, Michael Stuhlbarg as Nicodemus West, and Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecililius. New footage of Mikkelsen’s villain debuted in the film’s first TV spot early last month