Ed Skrein exits 'Hellboy' over whitewashing controversy, everyone applauds
Ed Skrien is stepping down from his role as Major Ben Daimio in the upcoming Hellboy reboot amid some all-too familiar controversy.
Diamio, originally seen in the Hellboy book published by Dark Horse Comics, is of Japanese descent. Skrein -- who you may recognize as the O.G. Daario Naharis on Game of Thrones, or baddie Francis Freeman/Ajax from Deadpool -- is not.
The erasure and whitewashing of characters of color, particularly Asian ones, in TV and film is a long-standing problem. The most recent example did not go unnoticed:
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After this backlash, Skrein decided to do the right thing.
In a statement via Twitter, he announced on Monday that he would be stepping down from the role so that it "can be cast appropriately."
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It's pretty rare to see this, and Twitter responded with overwhelming positivity. Comic writers, fellow actors, and fans expressed gratitude and respect for the move.
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Hopefully more people in Hollywood take this cue. Or better yet, they never have to, because we've seen enough examples of these terrible decisions already.
