8 Reasons Dr. Strange Is The Most Revolutionary Marvel Movie Ever

When Marvel released the first trailer for Doctor Strange, the casting of Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One, who had been portrayal as a tibetan in the comics, sparked online outrage and accusations of whitewashing. These claims were valid. Even though Tilda Swinton turned in a top-tier performance, helped in no small part by her un-otherworldly appearance, there was no reason Marvel couldn't have stayed true to the character and cast an asian actress in the role.

While the whitewashing of the Ancient One is a mark against the film, it doesn't take away from the fact that Marvel wound up creating its most progressive female character to date. Not only is the Ancient One the most powerful Marvel hero yet, she also bore the awesome responsibility of defending the earth from a host of supernatural threats like the the diabolical Dormammu.

Prior to Strange, Marvel had depicted powerful female characters like Scarlet Witch and Black Widow, but these competent female superheroes always played second fiddle to their male counterparts and never held positions of authority. The Ancient one upended Marvel's own gender dynamics, which is just one of the many reasons Strange is Marvel's most subversive film yet.