Batman gets more martial arts badassery in recent films but Green Hornet loses it?

SpoilerTV has uncovered an open casting call for the part of Kato in Seth Rogen’s The Green Hornet. Apparently, producers are looking for a non-specific Asian, and no longer require any martial arts experience, which is sure to send shutters down the spines of fans of the 1960’s TV series. What the hell happened to Stephen Chow?

In the serials, Kato was a skilled fighter, chauffeur and mechanic, but not necessarily a master of specific martial arts, according to reports. Later, the legendary Bruce Lee made the part his own, making him an expert in martial arts, and adding that aspect to the character’s lexicon part of the character.

Chow was attachded to the project as the director and as the Green Hornet’s sidekick, Kato, but left the director’s chair late last year, then Michel Gondry came on board to helm. However, he was still attached to play Kato.

Speculation is that Gondry and Rogen could dispense with a Bruce Lee-inspired Kato. According to SplashPage, Rogen has already promised that the film will be a departure from the character people expect, and that the film will be an origin story.

It would just be ironic that Batman has gotten more martial arts badassery in recent films, and The Green Hornet loses it.