Daniel Dae Kim will take over for Ed Skrein in 'Hellboy' reboot
— -- Daniel Dae Kim will take over for Ed Skrein as fictional character Maj. Ben Daimyo in the upcoming "Hellboy" reboot, his rep confirmed to ABC News.
Skrein dropped out of the project last month amid concerns over inappropriate casting for the character's race, as Daimyo is Japanese-American in the comic books.
In a statement first obtained by The Hollywood Reporter Kim expressed his gratitude to Skrein and the film's producers for taking a stand.
"Thank you for all the supportive tweets and comments, especially in light of the recent events surrounding its original casting. To that, I will only add that 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 said. "He could not have addressed the issue more elegantly and I remain indebted to him for his strength of character."
Kim's first day on set is today.
Last month, Skrein told ABC News in a statement that he was leaving the project so that "the role can be cast appropriately."
"It 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 honor and respect that," Skrein said at the time. "Representation of ethnic diversity is important, especially to me, as I have a mixed heritage family. It is our responsibility to make moral decisions in difficult times and to give voice to inclusivity. It is my hope that one day these discussions will become less necessary and that we can help make equal representation in the arts a reality."
"Hellboy" producers Larry Gordon, Lloyd Levin, Lionsgate and Millennium said at the time that they would keep his concerns in mind when filling the part.
