Ed Skrein at centre of whitewashing controversy as he joins Hellboy reboot

Ed Skrein has found himself at the centre of a new whitewashing scandal after being cast as Japanese-American Major Ben Daimio in the upcoming Hellboy reboot.
The 34-year-old British screen star’s most famous role to date has been playing the villain Ajax in Deadpool, opposite Ryan Reynolds. However, The Hollywood Reporter has now reported that Ed’s career has been given another boost by landing a part in Lionsgate and Millennium’s Hellboy reboot.
The casting isn’t without controversy though, given that Ed’s character, a member of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense who can turn into a jaguar when angry or in pain, is originally of Japanese-American descent.
Upon hearing the casting news, actor Jake Choi took to Twitter to lament the whitewashing, addressing a tweet to Ed and writing: “You as well as the producers/decision makers are racist af (as f**k). You know what you’re doing is wrong. #whitewashing #whitewashedOUT.”
It’s the latest whitewashing scandal to sweep Hollywood, following the casting of several Hollywood stars in roles originally associated with Asian characters. Scarlett Johansson was cast as The Major in iconic Japanese anime Ghost in the Shell, while British star Tilda Swinton was cast as Tibetan mystic Ancient One in Doctor Strange and U.S. actor Matt Damon’s casting in China-based fantasy epic The Great Wall also drew criticism.
Ed will be joining the previously cast David Harbour, Ian McShane and Milla Jovovich in the Hellboy revival. While Stranger Things star David is starring as the titular demonic hero, Ian will be playing his adoptive father while Milla will take on the role of a villainous medieval sorceress.
According to THR, the film will start shooting in September (17) in the U.K. and Bulgaria.
As well as his Deadpool role, Ed also had a leading part in The Transporter Refueled, and more memorably in television series’ Game of Thrones as the original Daario Naharis in season 3.