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In a recent interview with MoviePilot, Bob Gale let his opinion be known about Marvel’s upcoming ‘Doctor Strange’ movie, a film that he is not looking forward to. While you might think “Who the hell is Bob Gale?” and “Why does his opinion matter on this?” let me tell you, I had similar thoughts. I knew he was a writer/producer on the ‘Back to the Future‘ movies back in the 80’s (and has done little else since, except for ‘Back to the Future’ video games and promos, and the ride at Universal Studios), and I thought it was very strange that years later the man would pop up again with comments on a Marvel movie. However, Bob Gale having an opinion on the matter is not as strange as I originally thought, as it turns out that back in the 80s (at the height of his relevancy) the man wrote a screenplay for ‘Doctor Strange,’ which unfortunately never got made. Apparently Bob Gale is a huge ‘Doctor Strange’ fan and an expert on the character, which is why he tried to get his movie made, and also why he feels so strongly about Marvel’s upcoming film featuring the character.

According to his interview, Gale is especially unhappy about the casting decision to both white-wash and gender-swap the Ancient One character by letting Tilda Swinton play the role. In his own words:

“You’ve got the Ancient One as Tilda Swinton. Give me a break! Really? I mean, it’s stupid. You know?”

Personally, I have no qualms about the casting, as it was clearly a lose-lose situation for Marvel as the Ancient One had already been referred to as a racial stereotype anyway, and they most likely would have received flack for casting an Asian actor too, if only for the racist undertones that the Ancient One character already carried with it. But I can see Gale’s point, especially as a long time fan of the comic, and someone who tried so desperately to make his own ‘Doctor Strange’ film back in the 80s.

What are your thoughts on the matter? Are you bothered that the ancient one is being played by a white woman? Share your opinions below!