Daniel Dae Kim – not to be confused with Daniel Day-Lewis – is in talks to take over the Hellboy role that sparked controversy in Hollywood, and led to the exit of actor Ed Skrein.
The original casting of European Ed Skrein as Major Ben Daimio garnered criticism due to the character’s Japanese-American background. Skrein then took it upon himself to exit the project, to much applause, leaving it up in the air on who will be his replacement. Now, the whitewashing backlash seems to be somewhat amended, as Dae Kim’s Korean background proves much more suited to the role.
Created by Mike Mignola, Ben Daimio is “a rugged military member of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense who, due to a supernatural encounter, can turn into a jaguar when angered or in pain“. His grandmother was a Japanese Imperial assassin during WWII, and his Asian background plays a key role in who he is.
Daniel Dae Kim is most known for his television work on series including Lost, 24, and ER. Most notably, he starred in Hawaii Five-0, a commitment he recently departed alongside his co star Grace Park over salary parity.
The new casting choice is sure to be well-received, and the rectification of the miscast role a step forward in Hollywood. Or so we can hope.
#Peace.Love.DanielDaeKim
