Inside why Disney's live-action 'Mulan' added a female villain to the remake

• "Mulan," the live-action adaptation, features two new villains, Xianniang and Böri Khan, who aren't in the original Disney animated movie.
• Insider debuts an exclusive video in which director Niki Caro discusses the movie's villains and why a female foe was added in the live-action adaptation.
• “The choice to include a female villain was to provide a counterpoint for our hero," Caro said to Insider in a statement.
• "Mulan" will be available to purchase on all major digital retailers Tuesday.

Disney's live-action "Mulan" added two new villains, who aren't seen in the animated movie. And you might be wondering why a female foe was added to a film centered on women's empowerment.

"In the animated film, Mulan was operating only in a world of men," producer Jason T. Reed explains in an exclusive behind-the-scenes video. "We thought it would be interesting to add another female character."

That character is Xianniang, a young woman, who isn't accepted because she yearns to be a warrior. She's easily the film's best and most heartbreaking addition.

"The choice to include a female villain was to provide a counterpoint for our hero, an equally strong female character whose story runs in parallel to Mulan," Niki Caro told Insider in an exclusive statement. "She's a mysterious woman whose chi, or personal power, is beyond imagining."

"[The second new villain] Jason Scott Lee's character, Böri Khan, is a vengeful son, whose father was killed in an earlier war. His intention is to avenge the death of his father," Caro added. "And to do so, he relies on Xianniang, played by Gong Li."

"In many ways, 'Mulan' is a newer version of what a strong female looks like," Caro added.

Disney's live-action "Mulan" will be available on major retailers, including Amazon and Apple, on Tuesday with exclusive bonus features and six deleted scenes.

• Read more:
• The live-action 'Mulan' has an unexpected cameo you may overlook the first time around. Here's how it came together.
• 37 of the biggest differences the live-action 'Mulan' makes from the animated movie
• 32 details you may have missed in Disney's live-action 'Mulan'
• Listen to a new version of 'I'll Make a Man Out of You' that was pitched for Disney's live-action 'Mulan'