John Wick: Chapter 4 actor Donnie Yen insists he refused to allow his character in the upcoming neo-noir action film to be typecast, calling out everything from the name to the wardrobe during production.
In an interview with GQ, Yen, who plays John Wick's old friend and High Table assassin Caine, said he fought to ensure his character avoided the typical Asian stereotypes attached to people of his descent in films. Originally, Caine had a different name and look for the film, which Yen successfully argued against to Chapter 4's director Chad Stahelski. "The name was Shang or Chang," Yen said. "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 again—oh, mandarin collars. Why is everything so generic? This is a John Wick movie. Everybody's supposed to be cool and fashionable. Why can't he look cool and fashionable?"
Donnie Yen Fights Asian Stereotypes on John Wick and Star Wars
Yen has gotten used to tackling Asian stereotypes while taking on roles, having dealt with similar issues while filming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, ensuring his character Chirrut Îmwe didn't look like the typical martial arts warrior. Instead of making him a severe master who hardly showed emotion, Yen ensured Chirrut became the soul of the prequel film, improvising jokes along the way.
For John Wick 4, Stahelski agreed to Yen's changes, with the redesigned look paying tribute to iconic martial artist and actor Bruce Lee. Despite the initial back and forth about the presentation of Caine in Chapter 4, Yen maintains he had a good time making the movie. "I had a very respectful experience working on John Wick. Overall, I enjoyed making the film," he said.
The 59-year-old Hong Kong actor stars alongside Keanu Reeves' John Wick, Laurence Fishburne's The Bowery King and Bill Skarsgård's Marquis da Gramont in Chapter 4. In the film industry for 40 years when he started as a stuntman, Yen's other notable film credits include XXX: Return of Xander Cage and Mulan.
Chapter 4 sees John embark on his most challenging mission yet as he tries to finally end the menacing High Table and secure his freedom. His mission takes him to various stops, including Berlin, Paris, Osaka and New York City, fighting old foes and former friends. As evidenced by Chapter 4's trailers, Caine and John seem to have an ambiguous relationship, with Caine's quips to John often terse and straight to the point while the two fight each other. Chapter 4 was initially set for release in 2021 but was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Reeves' Matrix: Resurrections commitments.
John Wick: Chapter 4 opens in theaters across North America on Mar. 24.
Source: GQ