Ed Skrein praised for stepping down from Hellboy role after whitewashing criticism

Fellow actor Riz Ahmed was among those who praised the Deadpool star for his decision

Ed Skrein has been praised after dropping out of his role in Hellboy to encourage against Hollywood's 'whitewashing' of ethnically diverse characters (Getty)

British actor Ed Skrien has dropped out of the upcoming Hellboy reboot following a backlash over his role.

Skrien was cast as Major Ben Daimio, a character described as Japanese-American in the source material.

The Deadpool star said he did not know the race of the character when he accepted the part, and was stepping down so "the role can be cast appropriately".

News of his casting prompted accusations of "whitewashing" in Hollywood after similar rows over films such as The Ghost in the Shell and Marvel/Netflix show Iron Fist.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Skrien said that there had been "intense conversation and understandable upset" over his role.

"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," he wrote. "I feel it is important to honour and respect that. Therefore I have decided to step down so the role can be cast appropriately.

"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 days these discussions will become less necessary and that we can help make equal representation in the Arts a reality."

Skrien has received widespread praise for his decision, including from fellow actor Riz Ahmed, who is a vocal campaigner for better diversity in the arts.

"Respect to [Ed Skrein] for setting the example and reminding us that progress requires sacrifice and representation is collective responsibility," he tweeted.

Mike Mignola, who created the Hellboy universe, also tweeted his thanks.

The film's producers Larry Gordon, Lloyd Levin, Millennium and Lionsgate, have said they support him.

"Ed cam to us and felt very strongly about this. We fully support his unselfish decision," they told the Hollywood Reporter.

"It was not our intent to be insensitive to issues of authenticity and ethnicity, and we are looking to recast the past with an actor more consistent with the character in the source material.

Hellboy is set for release next year.