Production on Neil Marshall's HELLBOY got underway earlier this month, but the upcoming reboot hasn't been without controversy. When Ed Skrein (DEADPOOL) was cast as Major Ben Daimio, who is Japanese-American in the comics, an outcry over whitewashing prompted Skrein to voluntarily step down from the role so that it could be cast appropriately. In a statement, Skrein said "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." Daniel Dae Kim was quickly brought in to fill the role and the actor applauded Ed Skrein for stepping down, "He could not have addressed the issue more elegantly and I remain indebted to him for his strength of character," said Kim.
With not much time before production began, Daniel Dae Kim quickly got to work with stunt training, and the actor posted a short video of one of his stunt training sessions on Instagram. Kim commented, "Much less #BAMF when you're calling out your 'bangs.'"
Major 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. In addition to Daniel Dae Kim, the HELLBOY reboot also stars David Harbour (Stranger Things) as Hellboy, Ian McShane (American Gods) as Professor Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm, Milla Jovovich (RESIDENT EVIL) as the Blood Queen, Sasha Lane (AMERICAN HONEY) as Alice Monaghan, and Penelope Mitchell (Hemlock Grove) as Ganeida.
