Matt Damon has dismissed complaints that the starring role of his latest film ‘The Great Wall’ should have gone to an Asian or Asian American actor. The controversy arose after a trailer was released which critics say perpetuates a stereotype that heroes are always white males. Damon wasted no time hitting back.

“All the background artists were Chinese. The CGI dragons were Chinese. And of course the Great Wall that features in the movie is totally Chinese – we didn’t have it played by the Hoover Dam, which would have been inappropriate.”

Damon says people shouldn’t get hung up on the fact that he is the only character speaking in the trailer, or most of the movie, as film is primarily a visual medium. He suggests his critics apologize for suggesting his new movie is not Chinesy enough.

“Hell, we even ate Chinese half the time!”

Besides, he says he is now totally focused on his next project – a remake of the 2009 film ‘Invictus’, about the triumph of South Africa’s rugby union team during Mandela’s presidency. In the original film Damon played the role of white Afrikaner team caption Francois Pienaar, while Morgan Freeman played Mandela.

“My character in the first movie just won a few rugby matches, whereas Mandela led his people to freedom – which sounds a lot more like a character I should play.”

Word is that his original role as captain will now be played by longtime collaborator Ben Affleck, with Freeman being offered the role of a sage groundskeeper from the townships who gets killed off before the end.