Benedict Wong cast as ‘manservant’ in ‘Doctor Strange’

Marvel Studios continues to lure some of the biggest names into the franchise and their upcoming Doctor Strange just added another noteworthy actor as Benedict Wong has signed on to the film.

Directed by Scott Derrickson, Doctor Strange will star Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular character with Wong now playing Stephen Strange’s manservant and right-hand-man.

Wong, best known for playing NASA Jet Propulsion Lab director Bruce Ng in Ridley Scott’s The Martian, joins the upcoming comic book film, according to the breaking news at The Hollywood Reporter.

“Wong, the character, is a Marvel mainstay, having been around since the 1960s. He performs healing duties, assists in occult matters, is knowledgeable in martial arts and tends to Strange’s affairs,” the THR notes.

Originally introduced in 1963 alongside the Sorcerer Supreme himself, Wong is Doctor Strange’s manservant, housekeeper, chef, medic, personal assistant, and so on. Although his earliest incarnations appear to be dated racial stereotypes – A rich white superhero with an Asian manservant Wong, played by an actor named Wong? – recent versions of the character have made him far more than a simple sidekick.

Derrickson broke one Asian stereotype by casting Tilda Swinton as Strange’s mentor, the Ancient One.

Wong also played Kublai Khan on Netflix’s Marco Polo series, Ravel in Prometheus, and Thompson in Moon.

In addition to Cumberbatch and Swinton, Wong is joining Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mads Mikkelsen, Amy Landecker, Michael Stuhlbarg and Scott Adkins in the new film.

Doctor Strange is filming now for a November 4, 2016 release date.