Wong, portrayed by Benedict Wong, is Strange's sidekick and 'manservant' in the comics, but Scott Derrickson says that the said character is depicted as a powerful master in the film.
- Sep 14, 2016
AceShowbiz - "Doctor Strange" helmer Scott Derrickson admits that one Asian character from Marvel's comics was brought back to the film due to whitewhasing concern of Tilda Swinton's casting as the Ancient One. He says that Wong, portrayed by Benedict Wong, is Strange's sidekick and "manservant" in the comics. However, the said character is depicted as a powerful master in the film.
"I was going to leave Wong out of the movie at first. He was an Asian sidekick manservant, what was I supposed to do with that?" the helmer tells L.A. Daily News. "But once the decision was made to cast Tilda, we brought Wong back because, unlike the Ancient One, he could be completely subverted as a character and reworked into something that didn't fall into any of the stereotypes of the comics."
"In this movie, we have about as diverse a cast as I think you can get, and that was a very conscious decision," he says. The helmer adds that Tilda's casting is pointed to as an example of this. "We're bringing a middle-aged woman who's not 28 years old in leather pants into the Marvel Universe in a major role," he explains.
Marvel's "Doctor Strange" follows the story of the talented neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) who, after a tragic car accident, must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions.
Based in New York City's Greenwich Village, Doctor Strange must act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilizing a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artifacts to protect the Marvel cinematic universe.
Derrickson directed the film from a script written by Jon Spaihts. "Doctor Strange" will hit U.S. theaters this year on November 4. The action fantasy movie also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mads Mikkelsen, Rachel McAdams, Scott Adkins, Michael Stuhlbarg and Amy Landecker.
