Ed Skrein Backs Out of 'Hellboy' Reboot Following Whitewashing Backlash
Before he could even start filming, Ed Skrein has bid adieu to his role in the upcoming "Hellboy" reboot.
Just last week, Ed Skrein had excitedly announced that he would be playing the character of Major Ben Daimio on the upcoming "Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen," a reboot of the 2000s fantasy franchise. However, while Skrein himself was excited about his new role, some fans of the comic book weren't all that thrilled to see the actor portray Major Ben Daimio. This is because in the comics, Ben Daimio was portrayed as a man of Asian heritage and Skrein is in no way Asian, not even the slightest. A whitewashing backlash quickly broke out following Skrein's involvement in the film as Major Ben Daimio.
However, it looks like Ed Skrein himself was unaware that the character that he was supposed to portray was originally Asian, and just days after his big announcement, the actor took it upon himself to step down from the role.
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On Aug. 28, Skrein took to Twitter to announce his exit from the upcoming "Hellboy" film, hoping that an actor best suited for the role would be given a chance to portray Major Ben Daimio.
"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 voice in the arts. I feel it is important to honor and respect that. Therefore I have decided to step down so the role can be cast appropriately," Skrein said in a statement via Twitter.
The actor also explained that the representation of ethnic diversity is important and is even made more significant to him since he came from a mixed heritage family. He also admitted that he felt sad about leaving the film, but he hopes that he could somehow make a difference.
