Jackie Chan’s Role in “The Foreigner” Faces Criticism

“You can’t mix-and-match people’s ethnicities.”

In a statement, an STX Entertainment spokesperson told Teen Vogue:

“SPOILER ALERT:  The character is Chinese in the movie and is being brought to life on screen by Jackie Chan, one of the most beloved and popular actors known throughout the world.  We can’t wait for audiences to see Jackie in this extraordinary role (with extraordinary plot twists about his true identity).”

There’s a new Jackie Chan movie coming our way, and people are understandably pumped. The martial arts icon has always been known for his stunts, but the trailer for his upcoming film The Foreigner has him showing off some major acting chops.

The film, directed by Martin Campbell, has Chan portraying a a father in London seeking revenge for the death of his daughter in a terrorist attack. He finds a British government official named Hennessey (played by Pierce Brosnan) and hunts him down to get the names of the bombers to give them their just desserts. In one part of the clip, viewers see a Vietnamese passport with Chan on it, which some people have interpreted this as him being Vietnamese. However, a spokesperson for the movie has told Teen Vogue that Chan’s character is actually Chinese and that the storyline has mysteries surrounding his real identity, including his ethnicity.

Chan is obviously at his best in the trailer, and the hype is nice to see considering the erasure of Asian people on the big screen in the United States. But some people are raising concerns over the casting decision.

Twitter user @linhtropy made a thread about why she feels casting Chan (who is Chinese) as a character who is seemingly Vietnamese from the trailer (because of the aforementioned passport) in a film directed by a non-Asian person is a problem.

Another Twitter user and Asian-American feminist blogger, @reappropriate, also made a thread voicing concerns over the casting. The thread points out that the film is based on a book written by a non-Asian person titled The Chinaman, an anti-Asian slur. At the core of the issue, however, is representation. It’s been a problem facing Asian actors in America for a while now. Remember Ghost in the Shell?

The topic is also complicated by the fact that Jackie Chan is an important figure for many Asian people.

The Foreigner is slated for release in theaters on October 13.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a statement from a spokeperson for the movie and language has been changed to reflect this context