Scarlett Johansson managed to get back in the middle of controversy again after she was cast in a biopic about a transgender man titled Rub & Tug. Now she has officially left the project, and GLAAD has applauded her move.
Johansson tells Out about her exit:
"In light of recent ethical questions raised surrounding my casting as Dante Tex Gill, I have decided to respectfully withdraw my participation in the project… I've learned a lot from the community since making my first statement about my casting and realize it was insensitive"
When criticism of her casting as Dante ‘Tex' Gill first came out, Johansson had replied with a comeback saying that her critics were hypocrites for not attacking other cisgender actors for taking on transgender roles. This lead to some backlash from a lot of people, which now resulted in her quitting the film.
GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis had this to say about Johansson's exit (via Variety):
"Scarlett Johansson's announcement, together with the transgender voices who spoke out about this film, are game changers for the future of transgender images in Hollywood. Hollywood changed how Americans understand gay and lesbian lives, and TV is starting to do the same for transgender people with authentic transgender portrayals being major hits with critics and audiences. The film industry has a real opportunity to do the same."
So far, there hasn't been any update on the Rub & Tug movie, but it would be safe to assume that they are now looking for a transgender person to take on the role. Personally I thought the casting of Johansson was fine since the character starts out as a woman, but seeing that a lot of transgender people felt misrepresented, it's probably best that they find someone else that the community will identify with.
No release date has been set for Rub & Tug.
See Also: Marvel has Finally Found a Director for Black Widow
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
Fandoms