The 2017 live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell sparked a huge controversy long before the film even hit theatres. At the crux of the debate was the casting of a white actress, the famous Scarlett Johansson, in the role of the central character, who in the original Japanese manga and anime, was a cybernetic human made in Japan named Motoko Kusanagi. Fans were outraged that the experience of portraying a Japan-based story was handed to a typically Western actress rather than diversifying and choosing a Japanese-born actress.

Scarlett Johansson as Major Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell. [Credit: Paramount Pictures]

While the original director of Ghost in the Shell, Mamoru Oshii, defended her casting, Johansson’s own words back in 2015 have resurfaced and added fuel to the fire of the debate. In a world where the audience demands more diversity, Johansson claimed to be an ally and did not wish...