Ed Skrein has exited the “Hellboy” reboot following public outcry. His casting as Major Ben Daimio — an Asian character in the “Hellboy” graphic novels — reignited conversations about whitewashing that have long plagued Hollywood. 
 
 The “Deadpool” actor released a statement Monday on his social media accounts explaining why he dropped out of the project. 
 
 “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 honour and respect that. Therefore I have decided to step down so the role can be cast appropriately,” the actor said. “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.” 
 
 Skrein’s casting follows similar recent controversies in which white actors have been set for roles originally portrayed by people of Asian descent. Scarlett Johansson’s casting as a Japanese human-cyborg in “Ghost in the Shell” caused an uproar earlier this year, as did Tilda Swinton’s role as the Ancient One in “Doctor Strange” — a character depicted as an Asian male in the comic source material. 
 
 “Ed came to us and felt very strongly about this. We fully support his unselfish decision,” Lionsgate, the studio behind the reboot, said in a statement. “It was not our intent to be insensitive to issues of authenticity and ethnicity, and we will look to recast the part with an actor more consistent with the character in the source material.” 
 
 The creator of the “Hellboy” comic book, Mike Mignola, thanked Skrein on Twitter. “Very nicely done,” he added. 
 
 The studio will now focus on re-casting the role of the former U.S. Marine. The film begins shooting this October and sources say Skrein’s departure won’t affect the start date. 
 
 David Harbour is playing the titular character in “Hellboy.” Neil Marshall is directing the movie, which also stars Ian McShane and Milla Jovovich. ||||| A white actor who was cast as one of the leads in the upcoming Hellboy reboot has withdrawn from the role upon learning that the character in the comic books was of Asian descent. 
 
 Ed Skrein, who played Ajax in Deadpool and starred in The Transporter Refueled, joined the Hellboy cast as Major Ben Daimio last week — a casting decision that many criticized as the latest example of Hollywood whitewashing movie characters. 
 
 “I accepted the role unaware that the character in the original comics was of mixed Asian heritage. There has been intense conversation and understandable upset since that announcement, and I must do what I feel is right,” Skrein said in a statement on Monday. 
 
 “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 honour and respect that. Therefore, I have decided to step down so the role can be cast appropriately.” 
 
 Skrein’s decision was praised by the creator of the Hellboy comics and the actor who has signed on to play the title character. 
 
 “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,” Skrein said. “I am sad to leave Hellboy but if this decision brings us closer to that day, it is worth it. I hope it makes a difference.” ||||| "Representation of ethnic diversity is important, especially to me as I have a mixed heritage family," the actor wrote in a statement one week after he joined the film. 
 
 Ed Skrein is leaving the Hellboy reboot after an outcry over his casting. 
 
 The actor, who is known for playing the villain in last year's Deadpool, joined the cast of the Hellboy reboot last week and was set to play rugged military member Major Ben Daimio, who in the comic books is Asian. Some on social media objected to the casting, calling it another example of Hollywood whitewashing a character. And after a mounting outcry, Skrein has decided to leave the project, sharing the news Monday on Twitter. 
 
 "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 voice in the Arts. I feel it is important to honour and respect that. Therefore I have decided to step down so the role can be cast appropriately," the British actor wrote in a statement. "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." 
 
 Conversations about whitewashing have come to the fore over the past year after projects including Ghost in the Shell and Doctor Strange cast white actors as characters who were Asian in the source material, but this is the first time an actor has exited such a high-profile project in response to public criticism. Skrein swiftly began receiving praise online after making his announcement. 
 
 David Harbour (Stranger Things) is starring in the Hellboy reboot, which is based on the demonic hero from comic book creator Mike Mignola. Game of Thrones director Neil Marshall is helming the project. Ian McShane is playing the hero's adoptive father, while Milla Jovovich is portraying a medieval sorceress who wants to destroy humanity. 
 
 Harbour thanked people for speaking up with their thoughts, tweeting: "Hey internet. Thank you for your voices. An injustice was done and will be corrected. Many thanks to @edskrein for doing what is right." 
 
 Producers Larry Gordon, Lloyd Levin, Millennium and Lionsgate also released a statement Monday in support of Skrein's decision: "Ed came to us and felt very strongly about this. We fully support his unselfish decision. It was not our intent to be insensitive to issues of authenticity and ethnicity, and we will look to recast the part with an actor more consistent with the character in the source material." 
 
 Here is Skrein's full statement announcing he is leaving the project: 
 
 Rebecca Ford contributed to this story. 
 
 Aug. 28, 1:55 p.m.: Updated with Harbour's tweet.
– Actor Ed Skrein has left the upcoming Hellboy movie after news of his casting led to accusations of Hollywood whitewashing, Time reports. Skrein was hired to play the role of Major Ben Daimio, who is of Asian descent in the Hellboy comic books. News that Skrein had gotten the part caused an uproar on social media—yet another example, in many people's eyes, of Hollywood casting white actors to play non-white roles. Earlier this year, critics attacked the producers of Ghost in the Shell for casting Scarlett Johansson as a Japanese character, and last year's Doctor Strange sparked controversy when Tilda Swinton took a role depicted by an Asian male in the comic book of the same name, Variety reports. In a statement released Monday, Skrein, an English actor who has appeared in Deadpool and The Transporter Refueled, wrote that he was previously unaware the character was of Asian descent, and that "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." Later that day, the film's producers released a statement supporting Skrein's "unselfish decision" and defending their own. "It was not our intent to be insensitive to issues of authenticity and ethnicity," the statement read, per the Hollywood Reporter, "and we will look to recast the part with an actor more consistent with the character in the source material."