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Scarlett Johansson ranks among one of the highest-grossing actors in Hollywood, thanks to her performance as Black Widow in theAvengersfilms and the wider MCU. Despite achieving critical and commercial success, her casting in the 2017 sci-fi filmGhost in the Shell, which sparked a controversy over whitewashing, remains one of the lowest points in Johansson’s career.
However, long before Johansson’s whitewashing controversy, anotherAvengersstar found himself in a similar situation. Actor Benedict Cumberbatch appeared in 2013’sStar Trek Into Darknessbut was also embroiled in a whitewashing controversy. He was cast to play the role of iconic villain Khan Noonien Singh and here is how Cumberbatch emerged from the gig.
AvengersStar Benedict Cumberbatch Was Cast as a Whitewashed Character inStar Trek
Benedict Cumberbatchis known for essaying iconic characters such as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC seriesSherlockand Doctor Strange in the MCU. However, the British actor also played one of the most iconic villains in theStar Trekfranchise.
In 2013, Cumberbatch appeared as Khan Noonien Singh inStar Trek Into Darkness. However, in the character’s original appearance in the television series, he was depicted as a person of color, particularly of Indian origin. The character was played by Mexican actor Ricardo Montalbán in the original series.
In aReddit thread, fans discussed Cumberbatch’s casting in the role and the resulting controversy, with the original poster arguing that the casting choice did not receive enough criticism. However, user@Never_a_crumbpointed out that Cumberbatch’s casting was one of the biggest issues fans had with the movie. They wrote:
I remember this was one of the big issues people had,along with the creators insisting that there was nothing to worry about because it was a character named William Harrison.
The user suggested that while the whitewashing of Khan was a major controversy, but the producers tried to downplay it with the twist which hid the character’s true identity for most of the movie.
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Irrespective of how effective the twist was, Cumberbatch’s performance in the movie was generally well-received. The film also emerged as a commercial success, becoming the highest-grossingStar Trekfilm of all time. As a result, it is easy to forget the whitewashing controversy because of Cumberbatch’s strong performance and the film’s success.
Unlike Benedict Cumberbatch,Ghost in the ShellLeft a Dark Mark on Scarlett Johansson’s Career
In contrast to Cumberbatch, who emerged from theStar Trekwhitewashing controversy relatively unscathed, actressScarlett Johansson‘s career took a major hit with her role inGhost in the Shell. The film is based on a Japanese manga of the same name created by Masamune Shirow.
Johansson facedaccusationsof whitewashing for playing a character of Japanese origin. Mamoru Oshii, the director of the original anime came forward in support of the actress,statingthe allegations were baseless since the character was originally a cyborg. Nonetheless, Johansson faced hate from fans and had to come forward with aclarification.
Ghost in the Shellwas a critical and commercial failure, with the casting controversy being a part of its poor reception. Furthermore, the film continues to be used as one of the most prominentexamplesof whitewashing in Hollywood. Thus, it has permanently tarnished Johansson’s reputation and become a dark spot in the actress’ otherwise glowing career.
Star Trek Into Darknessis streaming on Paramount+ whileGhost in the Shellcan be rented on Amazon Prime Video.
Pratik Handore
Content Writer
Articles Published :1774
With a keen interest in comic book movies and blockbuster franchises, Pratik usually covers news and updates on the DCU, MCU, Star Wars, and more.A die-hard fan of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Pratik spends most of his time exploring different storytelling mediums that invoke a sense of wonder and adventure. Other filmmakers whose works have deeply influenced him include Alfred Hitchcock, James Gunn, and Guillermo del Toro.
