‘DOCTOR STRANGE’: Benedict Wong on the Different Take of His Character

It was interesting nearly six months ago when we learned that Benedict Wong would be playing the role of Wong, Doctor Strange’s sidekick from the comic book of the same name. The strange part, however, wasn’t the actual casting of Wong, but rather the idea that Marvel would actually have a DOCTOR STRANGE film with the role of Wong in it.

This is the same studio that steered far clear of one of Iron Man’s iconic foes, the Mandarin, for fear of the racial backlash. We live in a much more culturally aware time than we did back when a lot of these characters were introduced. Considering how much of a racial stereotype the character of the Mandarin is, it’s impossible to take him seriously as a villain. Similarly, a character that was created as sort of a likable “manservant”-ish sidekick in one decade could easily be seen as a racist caricature decades later. Such is the case with the character of Wong. 

However, given how aware Marvel is about this, it seemed inevitable that this particular interpretation of Doctor Strange’s sidekick would differ from in the comic book. In a recent interview with Den of Geek, actor Benedict Wong, who will be portraying the character in the upcoming DOCTOR STRANGE, confirmed that they will have a new take on the sidekick.

“I’m certainly not going to be the tea-making manservant. We’re heading in a different direction. He’s moreof a drill sergeant.”

And what about martial arts? In the comic, Wong is definitely know for his martial arts abilities.

“There isn’t any martial arts for Wong in Doctor Strange actually, he’s more of a drill sergeant to Kamar-Taj. He’s one of the masters of sorcery.”

Another frequent question for any new Marvel character is: are we going to see them again. In a universe where actors are locked down for a handful of films at a time, it seems inevitable that we’d see practically every one again — especially the bigger secondary characters. Is this the case for Wong as well? 

“That would be nice!” Wong told Den of Geek. “No, we’ll start off with the first one. I’m just happy nearly completing in Doctor Strange. I’m very excited to see what happens.”

Looks like the actor is pleading ignorance on us, which is something to be expected at this point in the game. What do you want to see out of the character of Wong in the film? Is this a sensitive area for Marvel to approach? Let us know all your thoughts below!

DOCTOR STRANGE hits theaters on November 4, 2016.

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SOURCE: Den of Geek

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