‘GREAT WALL’ CASTING

The 46-year-old Damon plays a British mercenary in the upcoming adventure fantasy helmed by acclaimed Chinese director Zhang Yimou.

The trailer sparked criticism in the United States that a white man had been chosen to play the lead in a film set in China meant to showcase Chinese culture.

Constance Wu, who stars in the US comedy series Fresh Off the Boat, which is centred on Taiwanese immigrants, posted on Twitter: “We have to stop perpetuating the racist myth that only a white man can save the world.”

The furore also came amid other accusations of a lack of diversity and opportunities for Asian actors in Hollywood.

Damon and Zhang said because of the demands of the story, Damon’s role was never envisaged for a Chinese actor.

Damon said he thought the controversy would subside “once people see that it’s a monster movie and a historical fantasy, and I didn’t take a role away from a Chinese actor... it wasn’t altered because of me in any way”.

Damon, star of the Bourne franchise and Interstellar, also questioned whether the critical stories on online new sites based on “a 30-second teaser trailer” would have existed before the era of fake news and social media.

“It suddenly becomes a story because people click on it, versus the traditional ways that a story would get vetted before it would get to that point.

“People fall for outrageous headlines, but eventually you stop clicking on some of those more outrageous things because you just realise there is nothing to the story when you get to it.”

The Great Wall debuts in Chinese cinemas on Dec 16 followed by other countries, including the US in February. AP