Though we ’re still a long room from insure Neil Marshall ’s R - rat Hellboy reboot in theaters , the picture show recently became the focal point of a full - ball up controversy when the public learned that Major Ben Daimio , a part of Japanese declivity from the cartoon strip , would be played by Ed Skrein , a snowy histrion . Today , Skrein announce he ’d be leave the part .

The Deadpool actor shared the news via a lengthy open letter posted to hispersonal Twitter account . He explains he came to the decision to shake off out of the flick after take the time to understand why citizenry were so concerned about his casting :

pic.twitter.com/8WoSsHXDFO

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.

— Ed Skrein ( @edskrein)August 28 , 2017

Not long after Skrein ’s office began to foot up steam online , Lionsgate ( the studio behind the new Hellboy reboot ) , along with producers Larry Gordon and Lloyd Levin , release astatementto Deadline explaining that Skrein ’s decision to leave the film was one that he made on his own .

They said :

William Duplessie

“ Ed came to us and felt very strongly about this . We amply support his unselfish conclusion . It was not our design to be insensitive to result of authenticity and ethnicity , and we will look to recast the part with an actor more coherent with the character in the source cloth . ”

Hellboy creator Mike Mignola shared his own reception over social media :

thank you@edskreinvery nicely done … https://t.co / hwCsaf9iZj

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— Mike Mignola ( @artofmmignola)August 28 , 2017

Skrein ’s Hellboy casting comes after films like Doctor Strange , Ghost in the Shell , and Death Note came under similar fire for regurgitate white actors as characters that were originally depict as being of Asian descent . Skrein is one of the first actors to give a film entirely over this kind of contention . But it stands to understanding that he weigh the pro and cons of staying vs. going away — and ultimately decided that he ’d be good off not being admit among the list of retiring offenderson this t - shirt .

HellboyMike MignolaMovies

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