Scarlett Johansson pulled the plug on her Rub & Tug role faster than we could say “bad casting call.” She was all set to play Dante “Tex” Gill—a 1970s transgender crime boss—until the internet blew up over it. The issue? The Avengers star isn’t trans, and the LGBTQ+ community wasn’t having it. Cue the backlash.
At first, Scarlett went into full defense mode, pointing fingers at other actors who played trans characters. “Criticism can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman’s reps,” she quipped. Not the best move. Trans advocates like Jamie Clayton and Transparent star Trace Lysette weren’t thrilled. Lysette tweeted, “I wouldn’t be as upset if I was getting in the same rooms as Jennifer Lawrence and Scarlett for cis roles, but we know that’s not the case. A mess.”
ScarJo eventually had a change of heart. In a statement to Out.com, she said, “I’ve learned a lot from the community since making my first statement. While I would have loved to bring Dante’s story to life, I understand why many feel a transgender person should portray him.” Talk about a 180.
This wasn’t Scarlett’s first casting controversy. Remember Ghost in the Shell? She caught heat for playing a character originally written as Asian. Add Rub & Tug to the list; fans are clearly over Hollywood’s tone-deaf casting calls.
While Johansson’s exit was the right call, it opened the door for more extensive conversations about representation. She said she’s “thankful this debate has sparked a larger conversation about diversity in film,” and honestly, the same. Maybe this means Hollywood will finally get its act together.
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