Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One in Doctor Strange (2016)

Marvel’s choice to cast Tilda Swinton—a white Scottish actress—as the Ancient One, originally a Tibetan man in the comics, ignited accusations of whitewashing and geopolitical pandering. The studio doubled down by altering the character’s ethnicity to avoid offending China, where the film earned $108 million at the box office—higher than the average $75 million for MCU origin films. This calculated move sparked over 3,200 critical tweets within 24 hours of the trailer’s release, making it 40% more divisive than #9's casting controversy in online engagement. Swinton’s performance was praised, but the decision remains a textbook case of prioritizing market access over authentic representation.