'Doctor Strange' Movie: Benedict Wong Talks Change of Sorcerer Supreme's 'Man-Servant'

The first teaser for the Doctor Strange movie stirred some controversy because Tilda Swinton was cast as the Ancient One, a character that's both male and Asian in the comic books -- but Marvel is taking no more chances. Benedict Wong, who'll play the Sorcerer Supreme's "man-servant" in the film, recently opened up about how the character will be different in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Wong, who besides having the same name as his character last year and was part of the cast of Ridley Scott's Oscar-nominated The Martian, recently talked to Den of Geek about the live-action Doctor Strange movie. While in the comics, the character Wong serves as a sidekick as well as a valet to the Sorcerer Supreme with some serious martial arts skills, the character is taking a turn here.

"I'm certainly not going to be the tea-making manservant. We're heading in a different direction. He's more of a drill sergeant," said the actor. "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."

It's already been tough for the Benedict Cumberbatch-led film, as there have been accusations of whitewashing the character of the Ancient One since the first teaser came out. The character of Wong, as it was conceived in the 70s, wouldn't have fit in today's society as the fight to keep out of Asian stereotypes continues.

Marvel has had its share of bad press over its treatment of Asian characters and motifs for a while. Not only was there controversy surrounding Doctor Strange, but some also protested about casting Game of Thrones actor Finn Jones in the role of Danny Rand for Netflix's Iron Fist, as some of the fans expected that the character, which has a strong connection to Asian culture and was based on the wave of martial arts films of the 70s, could be played by an actor with Asian heritage.

Besides the two Benedicts (namely Cumberbatch and Wong) and Swinton, the Doctor Strange cast is more than impressive. Other actors involved in the project include Oscar nominees Chiwetel Ejiofor and Rachel McAdams as well as Hannibal star and often-villain Mads Mikkelsen. The movie is set to begin a new era in the MCU, introducing magic as a strong power in the franchise for the first time.

Doctor Strange premieres in theaters on November 4.