When Deadpool star Ed Skrein was announced as Major Ben Daimio in Neil Marshall's upcoming Hellboy reboot, the response from fans was not good. In the comic books, the character is a Japanese-American and it took no time at all for justified accusations of whitewashing to be made. As a result, Skrein decided to step down and it wasn't long until Lost alum Daniel Dae Kim was cast in the role.
Now, the actor has praised Skrein's decision to step down from the movie and has praised those he'll be working with in this highly anticipated fresh take on the fan-favourite comic book character.
"I’m excited to confirm that I’ve officially joined the cast of Hellboy. We start shooting today and I’ll be playing Ben Daimio, alongside our very talented cast, headed by David Harbour, and director, Neil Marshall. Thank you for all the supportive tweets and comments, especially in light of the recent events surrounding its original casting. I applaud the producers and, in particular, Ed Skrein for championing the notion that Asian characters should be played by Asian or Asian-American actors. He could not have addressed the issue more elegantly and I remain indebted to him for his strength of character."
There are still quite a few roles left to be cast in Hellboy but it's unclear if Skrein will be chosen for one of those. Kim's character is a member of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.R.P.D.) who possesses the ability to turn himself into a jaguar whenever he's angered or in physical peril.
Starring Stranger Things actor David Harbour as the titular hero, Hellboy is set to be released on January 11th, 2019. Are you excited for the movie? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
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