Controversial Choice to Omit Tibet From Doctor Strange Pays Off at the Chinese Box Office

Marvel’s Doctor Strange has been the subject of controversy in the U.S. after the decision to change the role of the Ancient One, the mentor to lead Stephen Strange, from a Tibetan to a Celtic mentor of magic. While Tilda Swinton’s casting has had audiences state-side outraged over whitewashing, it has paid off in China. The film has seen a smooth move into the country without a single cut from censors, and earning a coveted same-date release. Many people know Tibet is a sore subject for China, but it is an especially sensitive topic for Chinese censors. Any whiff of support for Tibet is a near sure-fire way to get blacklisted. Even the pop queen Lady Gaga felt the swift wrath of a government ban after tweeting a picture of her (very) brief meeting with the Dalai Lama earlier in 2016. Doctor Strange almost certainly took heed of these government concerns, which is now paying off with smooth sailing into the Middle Kingdom. Between a day-and-date release and the star power of Benedict Cumberbatch, one of China’s most beloved actors, it’s no strange thing the film saw such healthy box office returns in China.

This is a summary of an original China Film Insider article.