Donnie Yen: The name was Shang or Chang

Donnie Yen on how he called out John Wick 4 for Asian stereotypes and got script changed

Actor Donnie Yen is making his John Wick debut in the upcoming fourth instalment as Caine, a blind assassin caught between his ties to the villainous High Table and his friendship with Keanu Reeves’ eponymous killer.

It turns out Yen’s character was not originally named Caine. The actor in an interview said that he called out the John Wick: Chapter 4 script for including Asian stereotypes, leading to changes regarding his character’s name and appearance in the film.

“The name was Shang or Chang,” Yen said of his John Wick character. “Why does he always have to be called Shang or Chang? Why can’t he have a normal name? Why do you have to be so generic? Then the wardrobe — mandarin collars. Why is everything so generic? This is a John Wick movie. Everybody is supposed to be cool and fashionable. Why can’t he look cool and fashionable?”

Also Read: Keanu Reeves: It was the hardest physical role

John Wick: Chapter 4 director Chad Stahelski listened to Yen’s criticism and agreed to modify the character. Yen, who was able to redesign the character as an homage to Bruce Lee, maintained that he had “a very respectful experience working on John Wick,” adding, “Overall, I enjoyed making the film.”

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