Ed Skrein Gives Up 'Hellboy' So Producers Can Review 'White-Washed' Casting
It's not completely unusual for an actor to step down from a proposed movie role based on their audience's reception to the news, but they rarely leave such an honest explanation. Ed Skrein, meanwhile, has done just that, after 'Hellboy' fans reacted with anger over the 'whitewashing' of one of the characters.
The 34-year-old was due to play Major Ben Daimio in the forthcoming reboot, but fans were outraged by the producers' decision to cast him because of the Asian heritage of the character in the comic books. Ed Skrein claimed he was unaware of that detail, but has now graciously stepped down to make room for a more appropriate casting.
'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 honour and respect that', he said in a Twitter post. 'Representation of ethnic diversity is important, especially to me as I have a mixed heritage family. It is our responsibility to make moral decisions in difficult times and to give voice to inclusivity. It is my hope that one day these discussions will become less necessary and that we can help make equal representation in the Arts a reality.'
Fans have deeply praised his decision for dropping out of the Neil Marshall-directed ('Doomsday', 'The Descent') movie which will no doubt be a box office sensation upon its release. Other announced cast members are David Harbour who will play the titular hero, Milla Jovovich as Nimue the Blood Queen, Ian McShane as Professor Broom, and 'American Honey' star Sasha Lane as Alice Monaghan.
Ed has previously starred in the likes of 'Game of Thrones', 'Deadpool' and 'The Transporter Refueled'. Among his future projects are sci-fi thriller 'Tau', Anthony Byrne's murder thriller 'In Darkness', Robert Rodriguez's 'Alita: Battle Angel' and 20s drama 'Born a King' - the latter of which he is currently filming.
More: Read our review of 'Deadpool'
'Hellboy' is expected to arrive in theatres sometime in 2018.