Scarlett Johansson has faced backlash for being slated to star in Rub & Tug as Dante “Tex” Gill, a transgender criminal boss based in Pittsburgh.
This new casting announcement has reignited the fiery debate over casting cisgender actors in trans roles. Many decry this pattern of passing over trans actors as a dehumanization of trans people, and also because it dries up work for trans actors:
While others believe that Johansson is just doing her job as an actor, and nothing more:
While some have used Gill's deadname (a pre-transition name) when describing the movie, Gill's 2002 obituary confirms his male identity, despite misgendering him.
Johansson herself has responded to the massive backlash, but her statement to Bustle has done nothing to douse the fires.
"Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto and Felicity Huffman's reps for comment."
In fact, her statement highlights the trend of casting cis actors for productions that would go on to reach critical acclaim.
Johansson has a history of being cast in roles that, for lack of a better phrase, she does not fit. In 2017, she was cast as the lead character in Ghost in the Shell, adapted from a Japanese anime. Adaptations of works are made across cultures all the time, but when your adaptation is still set in Japan, your casting becomes difficult to defend.
Interestingly enough, the director of Ghost in the Shell is Rupert Sanders, the same director taking on Rub & Tug.
What are your thoughts on the controversy? Let us know in the comments below.
RANKED: 10 classic anime shows viewers new and old should see