Scarlett Johansson in Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Scarlett Johansson's casting as Major Kusanagi in the 2017 film *Ghost in the Shell* became a central point of controversy, defining the film's legacy and sparking accusations of whitewashing. The original source material, a Japanese manga series, features a Japanese protagonist in a Japanese setting. Despite this, producers cast a white American actress in the lead role, leading to significant backlash regarding the erasure of Asian representation in Hollywood. This controversy was a prominent feature of the film's marketing and release. *Ghost in the Shell* ultimately grossed approximately $40.5 million domestically against a reported production budget of $110 million. The casting choice generated widespread discussion about diversity and representation in major studio productions.