CBS/Art Streiber(LOS ANGELES) — Daniel Dae Kim will take over for Ed Skrein as fictional character Maj. Ben Daimio 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 Daimio 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.”
Wednesday was Kim’s first day on set.
Last month, Skrein told ABC News in a statement that he was leaving the project so that “the role can be cast appropriately.”
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.
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