Much has been said about Scarlett Johansson’s casting in Ghost In The Shell, with some pretty ugly rumors joining the allegations of “whitewashing” against the film. Since the film’s trailers have been released, some of the talk has died down. That doesn’t mean it’s completely gone and Johansson’s latest interview with Marie Claire proves it.
One of the first questions for the actress dealt with her controversial role. Johansson hasn’t really discussed the controversy too much and offers a cautious defense against the “whitewashing” allegations to Marie Claire:
“I certainly would never presume to play another race of a person. Diversity is important in Hollywood, and I would never want to feel like I was playing a character that was offensive. Also, having a franchise with a female protagonist driving it is such a rare opportunity. Certainly, I feel the enormous pressure of that—the weight of such a big property on my shoulders.”
Screen Crush points out that Johansson doesn’t seem to understand the controversy, but that might be a bit harsh considering her position. We’ve already seen reports that this film could be much worse in terms of its diversity choices and we know that the filmmakers have tried to change the film to suit their casting choice. That doesn’t solve the issue or make it disappear, but it does help.
Johansson also discusses her stance on the wage gap and her reluctance to talk about her own experience. During an interview with Cosmopolitan back in April, Johansson called the idea “obnoxious” and she attempted to clear up the confusion with her comments with Marie Claire:
“Some people felt I should talk about my personal struggle in order to shed a spotlight on the greater issue. Maybe I’m being presumptuous, but I assumed it was obvious that women in all positions struggle for equality. It’s always an uphill battle and fight. My experience with my close female friends and family is that the struggle is real for everybody. Everyone has been discriminated against or harassed—sexism is real.”
You can read the full interview over here. There is also another Ghost In The Shell trailer on the way to help people make their minds up about the film. Johansson’s casting will still be divisive, but we could at least end up with a good movie out of it all.
(Via Marie Claire)
