Shortly after it was announced that he would be playing former United States Marine, Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense employee, and cursed were-jaguar Ben Daimio in the upcoming ‘Hellboy’ film featuring ‘Stranger Things’ star David Harbour last month, Ed Skrein of ‘Deadpool’ fame revealed that he agreed with the whitewashing outcry from fans and would be stepping aside in order for the role to be more faithfully played by an Asian or Asian-American actor. Director Neil Marshall and company then set out to find a suitable replacement that better represented the character created by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, and Guy Davis. Now, it appears that the production is no longer lost in their search and has found the right man for the job.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Daniel Dae Kim is currently in negotiations to join the cast of Lionsgate’s latest big screen adaptation for the big red demon and his right hand of doom. Best known for his roles in ‘Angel’, ’24’, and ‘Lost’, Kim was most recently at the center of another controversy involving the treatment of Asians in Hollywood. After starring in the modern reboot of ‘Hawaii 5-0’ for seven seasons on CBS, he and Grace Park were seeking to receive pay equal to co-stars Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan. After the final offer from the network clocked in at 10-15% lower than their white counterparts, the pair opted to leave the series in June.
But thanks to that recent vacancy in his schedule courtesy of a most noble stance, the Korean-American actor is open to add to his cinematic resume that already includes ‘Crash’, ‘Spider-Man 2’, ‘Insurgent’, and ‘Allegiant’. Should the deal pan out, Kim will join Harbour and previously announced cast members Ian McShane, Milla Jovovich, Sasha Lane, and Penelope Mitchell as they venture to the United Kingdom and Bulgaria to begin principal production later this month ahead of a release date sometime in 2018.
What do you think about Daniel Dae Kim starring in the new ‘Hellboy’ as Captain Ben Daimio after Ed Skrein vacated the role? Let us know in the comments below.
