It’s been revealed today that The Martian’s Benedict Wong has been cast as Wong in Marvel’s Doctor Strange, the latest addition to the Scott Derrickson helmed release. With shooting already well underway, this is presumably the final major casting addition.
Wong has traditionally been portrayed as Doctor Strange’s manservant in the comic books, but due to the stereotypical nature of the character, many fans have assumed that he would be left out of the movie. However, providing Marvel are able to find a contemporary take on the character which ditches the racist overtones from the 1960s, there shouldn’t be an issue.
With an actor as talented as Wong playing, er, Wong, it’s fair to say that the character is in good hands anyway. Plus, you only need to look at Iron Man 3’s Mandarin to see how smart Marvel are when it comes to updating old fashioned characters for a modern audience.
Regardless, Wong joins a cast which also includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Mads Mikkelsen. Doctor Strange is set to be released on November 4th, later this year. Among the actor’s other credits are Netflix’s Marco Polo, Prometheus, and Kick-Ass 2. Check out our guide to the Sorcerer Supreme by clicking here!
