John Wick 4 Star Called Out New Character For Being Asian Stereotype

When preparing for his role, John Wick: Chapter 4 star Donnie Yen influenced director Chad Stahleski to negate Asian stereotypes in the film.

John Wick: Chapter 4 star Donnie Yen has opened up about his initial misgivings about his character in the film, Caine, when he was first cast for the role. An old friend of John’s, Caine is a blind assassin for the High Table whose skills are already proving him as a fierce opponent for John. While it’s unclear how Caine will factor into John’s fight with High Table member Marquis de Gramont, promotional material for the movie features a fight between Caine and John, the pair both wielding swords and guns.

In an interview with GQ Magazine, Yen revealed that the original conception for Caine in John Wick: Chapter 4 leaned heavily into Asian stereotypes that he fought against once he was cast. Yen cites the history of typecasting for Asian actors in Western films as warriors or villains to show why altering Caine’s initial characterization was so important. Check out what Caine had to say below:

The name was Shang or Chang. 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?

I had a very respectful experience working on John Wick. Overall, I enjoyed making the film.

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Why Caine Is An Important Addition To John Wick 4

The description of Caine’s original vision that Yen describes is nothing like how his character appears in John Wick: Chapter 4. Sporting a pair of sunglasses and often seen in a suit and tie, Yen’s depiction of Caine shows just how much he was able to convince Stahleski to divert the character away from Asian stereotypes. Yen also says the outfit is an homage to Bruce Lee, adding another layer of action star influence to the John Wick franchise.

While it’s clear that Caine is no longer the Asian stereotyped character he was initially envisioned as, Yen’s newcomer to John Wick: Chapter 4 is still shrouded in mystery. In trailers, he can be seen sitting next to the Marquis de Gramont, indicating his role as a High Table assassin is specifically to work with Bill Skarsgård’s character. His already-teased fight with John also shows that, despite the two having a past friendship, Caine’s loyalty is bound to the High Table’s wishes.

If Caine’s character had not been influenced by Yen, he may not have stood out as much as he does throughout John Wick: Chapter 4‘s promotional material. Instead, the Asian stereotyping of the character may have taken away from the film, making Caine feel too generic and perhaps offending audience members enough to drop the franchise entirely. Luckily, Yen had a vision for Caine that is already shaping up to make John Wick: Chapter 4 a memorable new entry in the franchise.

More: John Wick 4 Is Already Creating A Big Action Challenge For John Wick 5

Source: GQ