The holidays is ample time to finally watch some of the movies available on Netflix you may have missed out on watching over the years, such as one little animated indie film from Disney called Mulan. Well, it was recently pointed out that the streaming service hadn't credited Ming-Na Wen as the voice of the eponymous heroine, and the actress fired back, as you can see below.
When Twitter user @kroqkom got finished watching one of Disney's beloved classics, he couldn't help but notice that Hua Mulan actress Ming-Na Wen wasn't credited by Netflix. It only named Miguel Ferrer (Shan-Yu), Harvey Fierstein (Yao) and June Foray (Grandmother Fa) as the main cast. He tweeted out a picture of it, demanding Netflix honor the leading actress of the film. Ming-Na Wen heard his battle cry and joined in the charge.
As the actress points out in her post, Shang-Yu voice actor BD Wong is also not credited for his main role in the 1998 film. It also doesn't help that all of the actors named aren't of an Asian descent, making it look like the goof is purposefully ignoring Mulan's use of Asian-American actors.
A day after Ming-Na Wen called on Mulan fans to complain to Netflix for their mistake, the streaming service responded with this:
Sure enough, if you click on Mulan on Netflix today, it credits the film's main cast Ming-Na Wen, BD Wong and Eddie Murphy, who famously played Mushu the dragon. There is also a note that says "Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy and George Takei lend their voices to this winner of 10 Annie Awards." This shows the streaming giant is making an effort to highlight another Asian actor in the film, Star Trek's Takei, even though he plays a very small role as First Ancestor.
It was obviously a good move for Netflix to listen to Mulan herself, but it begs the question why her name wasn't present in the first place. It could have very well been due to the streaming site's algorithm or a clear indication of oversight of Asian-American actors as Ming-Na Wen characterized it. Additionally, if you look at the film's IMDB page, Ming-Na Wen is listed 12 down on the cast list too.
Mulan is an important mainstream film to the Asian community, as there are only so many centering on Chinese culture that have reached its popularity and with a Chinese lead actress. Let's not strip it of its talented lead cast made up of minorities!
Ming-Na Wen recently had the opportunity to voice the role of Mulan in Ralph Breaks the Internet, along with most of the Disney Princesses for a sequence that includes them in one room. The actress is now best known for playing Melinda May on the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series, which will have her character returning for Season 6 this summer and a recently announced 7th season as well.
Mulan is also getting the live-action treatment, with Chinese star Liu Yifei (aka Crystal Liu) starring as the titular hero. The remake is being released March 27, 2020. You can learn more about the new Mulan movie with our guide detailing everything we know about the upcoming release.
