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Kavita Daswani

When Jona Xiao was first called to audition for Marvel’s new animated series Eyes of Wakanda, she did not know what role she was playing. Marvel, notorious for its secrecy, simply said the character would be a “strong, badass female”, Xiao recalls.
Only after she received the script did the reveal come: Xiao was in the running to be the first-ever female Iron Fist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“It was very exciting,” she says of the moment. “You read the words, and then she whips out the Iron Fist.”
Xiao stars in the third episode of Eyes of Wakanda, a four-part animated anthology series that premiered on August 1 on Disney+.
Each episode is set in a different time and place across the Marvel universe, exploring the global legacy of Wakandan vibranium. Her episode features a battle between a CIA agent from Wakanda and Xiao’s character, a protector of the mystical city of K’un-Lun and one of a long lineage of guardians.


Though this marks her first major Marvel role, it is not Xiao’s first time in the Marvel universe. She was originally cast as Gina in Spider-Man: Homecoming, but her part was cut from the final edit.
“I told myself the next time I book a Marvel project, it’ll be a big enough role they can’t cut it for time,” she says via Zoom from her home in Los Angeles.
Voice acting in Eyes of Wakanda came with its own challenges.
“You only have your voice to convey everything, which can be tough – but also really fun,” Xiao explains. “I usually end up sweating in the booth. If I need to sound out of breath, I’ll do 15 push-ups. It’s like a workout.”
Beyond the physicality and action, Xiao sees this role as something deeper: a contribution to shifting narratives around identity and representation.
“When I was growing up, I didn’t see Asian women portrayed as warriors or legends. They were sidekicks, stereotypes or missing entirely. Now, I get to punch holes in old narratives, expand what strength and femininity can look like, and show kids that their stories belong in the spotlight too.”

Born Xiao Qiaona in Changsha, in China’s Hunan province, Xiao immigrated to the US with her family as a child. They first settled in Ithaca, in the US state of New York, before moving to St Louis, Missouri.
Growing up, Xiao often felt like an outsider. She was bullied for her appearance, for wearing bright clothes and – most painfully – for simply being Asian. Her family lived in a trailer park with very limited resources, and it was a difficult life.
“One day, my best friend was hanging out with another girl. That girl’s mum didn’t like that I was Asian. They beat me up for fun,” Xiao recalls. “I was physically OK, but emotionally, it hurt. I didn’t understand why my friend would do that. I never even confronted her about it. I just pretended it didn’t happen.
She discovered acting at 12, in a drama class through a rap version of Rumpelstiltskin.
“I fell in love with it. I realised I love making people laugh. Movies and TV shaped me so much, and I wanted to be a part of that world.”

Her parents, both with science backgrounds, were hesitant.
“My dad said, ‘There are no Asian actors. Maybe if you were white, I’d support it.’ I wanted to say, ‘There’s Lucy Liu!’”
Xiao persisted, studying business and cinematic arts at the University of Southern California while navigating an industry that offered few meaningful roles for Asian actors.
For many years, acting remained an expensive hobby rather than a sustainable career. Xiao admits she was “clueless” about the business side of the industry. That changed after a talent agency scammed her early in her career.
“I felt protective of other actors. I wanted to help them avoid what I went through.”
In 2013, she launched Career Activate, a platform that helps actors at every level of their careers navigate the business of acting. The company offers free resources, paid courses and year-long coaching programmes, with students from around the world.
“We help them build the right team of agents and managers, understand their brand and take a proactive approach,” Xiao says.
Clients include Luna Fujimoto, who will appear in Larry Yang’s The Shadow’s Edge alongside superstar Jackie Chan. Fujimoto’s previous credits include Blade of the 47 Ronin.












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A post shared by Jona Xiao (@jonaxiao)



“We look for go-givers, not just go-getters – actors who are generous, supportive of their community and open to doing things differently,” Xiao says.
Today, Xiao takes pride not only in her heritage but in how far she has come.
“I used to be ashamed of being Chinese. I’d look in the mirror and not recognise the Asian face staring back at me,” she says. “But I’m in a very different place now. I’m so proud to be Asian. And I’m grateful for the challenges I’ve had, because they’ve allowed me to become someone younger people can look up to.”
Half the roles she has booked in recent years were specifically written for Asian women; the other half were open to any ethnicity.
“That says something,” Xiao says. “We’re moving in the right direction.”
As she continues to carve out space for herself and others in Hollywood, she keeps one guiding principle close.
“When you’re on your deathbed, you won’t regret the roles you didn’t get, you’ll regret the chances you didn’t take and the connections you didn’t make. So go after what lights you up.”


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Chinese-American actress Jona Xiao, the voice of Iron Fist in Eyes of Wakanda on Disney+, says she used to feel ashamed of being Asian


Chinese-American actress Jona Xiao, the voice of Iron Fist in Eyes of Wakanda on Disney+, says she used to feel ashamed of being Asian.


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Asian diaspora

Marvel

Lucy Liu

Marvel’s first-ever female Iron Fist, Jona Xiao, on why she’s now ‘so proud to be Asian’

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Chinese-American actress Jona Xiao, the voice of Iron Fist in Eyes of Wakanda on Disney+, says she used to feel ashamed of being Asian

Chinese-American actress Jona Xiao, the voice of Iron Fist in Eyes of Wakanda on Disney+, says she used to feel ashamed of being Asian