Hollywood seems to have two incredibly huge blind spots: Asians, of any culture, and Women of any color, other than white! They simply don’t even think to include us in many of the adventures you referenced, and when they do remember we exist, it’s as you said: as support and side characters.

I’m especially cynical about their choice to pick Tilda Swinton (I do like her, btw ) to be The Ancient one, and the director’s excuse that he wanted to avoid stereotyping Asians. Really?! He could have easily upended stereotype, by making the character an Asian woman, and I believe Dichan Lachman, the actress from Agents of Shield, is actually Tibetan!