Ed Skrein is stepping down from his Hellboy reboot role following the ongoing Hollywood whitewashing criticism. The British actor was set to play Major Ben Daimio, who is Japanese-American in the comic books.
βIt 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," Skrein said in a statement. He added that the role should be cast appropriately and that "It is our responsibility to make moral decisions in difficult times and to give voice to inclusivity."