'Hellboy' Reboot Cast News: Ed Skrein Announces Exit Amid Whitewashing Controversy; Penelope Mitchell Comes on Board
The upcoming "Hellboy" reboot received a lot of flak from the public after it was announced that Ed Skrein would be taking on the role of Major Ben Daimio. However, the actor has now revealed that he is exiting the film.
Last month, The Hollywood Reporter revealed in an exclusive report that Skrein had been cast as Daimio, who is of Asian descent. The announcement resulted in an uproar and whitewashing accusations were soon brought up once again.
In a lengthy post on social media, Skrein explained that he did not know all the details about the role he accepted. He then revealed that he had dropped out of the film so that the role may go to someone who fits the character description.
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"I accepted the role unaware that the character in the original comics was of mixed Asian heritage. There has been intense conversation and understandable upset since that announcement, and I must do what I feel is right," Skrein wrote. "It is clear that representing this character in a culturally accurate way holds significance for people, and that to neglect this responsibility would continue a worrying tendency to obscure ethnic minority stories and voices in the Arts. I feel it is important to honour and respect that. Therefore I have decided to step down so the role can be cast appropriately."
Whitewashing has been a topic of great controversy in Hollywood. In 2015, the film "Aloha" drew criticism for casting Emma Stone as a character named Allison Ng, a girl of Asian and native Hawaiian descent. More recently, "Ghost in the Shell" got a lot of heat after Scarlett Johansson was tapped to play the Japanese lead.
The "Hellboy" reboot may have lost one actor, but it was recently announced by Deadline that another has joined the film. Penelope Mitchell has been tapped to play Ganeida, an elder witch who is on the side of good.
Production on the "Hellboy" reboot is schedule to commence in October. David Harbour, who is known for his work on "Stranger Things," will play the titular superhero. Ian McShane and Milla Jovovich have also been cast as Hellboy's adoptive father Trevor and Nimue the Blood Queen, respectively.
A release date has yet to be announced.
