Just last week, the news broke that Deadpool villain Ed Skrein would be switching sides to the forces of good to work alongside the title character in the new Hellboy movie. But word of his casting as Major Ben Daimio – a Japanese-American character in the original stories – sparked controversy and complaints of yet more whitewashing in American movies. Now, cognizant of people's concerns, Skrein himself has pulled out of the role, citing his reasons via Twitter.
It's a good move on his part, and while it could be argued that someone from his agents' team or otherwise might have cracked a comicbook before submitting him for the role, it shows character to turn down a big payday for the right reasons.
Producers Larry Gordon and Lloyd Levin, along with studios Lionsgate and Millennium offered the following statement on the matter to Deadline: "Ed came to us and felt very strongly about this. We fully support his unselfish decision. It was not our intent to be insensitive to issues of authenticity and ethnicity, and we will look to recast the part with an actor more consistent with the character in the source material."
Daimio is a tough sort who was a consultant with Big Red's employers the Bureau for Paranormal Research that eventually scored a full-time job. And his credentials go further than his Marine Corps training: after a supernatural encounter, he turns into a were-jaguar when he's in pain or suitably angry.
David Harbour is playing Hellboy, with Ian McShane, Milla Jovovich and Sasha Lane also in the cast, soon hopefully to be joined by a suitable new Ben. Neil Marshall is kicking off shooting next month.