As a person of multi-racial heritage, I am particularly sensitive to and tired of whitewashing and yellowface in film. Whether it is Scarlett Johansson’s Major in “Ghost in the Shell,” Emma Stone’s Allison Ng in “Aloha,” Liam Neeson’s Ra’s al Ghul in “Batman Begins,” the cringe-worthy casting of John Wayne’s Genghis Kahn in “The Conqueror” and the truly despicable caricature of Mickey Rooney’s Mr. Yunioshi in “Breakfast of Tiffany’s,” this history is a long trail of racial ignorance and insensitivity.

One recent case of whitewashing was Tilda Swindon’s role as The Ancient One, a Tibetan monk who teaches and guides Dr. Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In the movies, The Ancient One is changed into a Celtic woman. Now, according to an article in CNET, that change may have been made to appease Chinese censors.

Read about how the lucrative Chinese movie market – second only to the North American market – exerts such pressure that Hollywood movies are being altered and censored to ensure access to that market:

Marvel is censoring films for China, and you probably didn’t even notice
– Jennifer Bisset for CNET, November 1, 2019