Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson has dismissed criticism over her decision to play a transgender man in a new movie.

The actor, 33, has signed to star in the upcoming Rub & Tug, which tells the story of a transgender man, Dante “Tex” Gill, a biopic based on the real-life story of a transgender massage parlour boss.

When news of the project broke on Wednesday, critics argued that the role should have gone to a transgender actor.

Said The Verge, “Judging by the industry’s ongoing refusal to allow LGBT people to play themselves and their stories out on-screen, the film promises to be yet another entry in Hollywood’s oh no, baby, what is you doin’? list.”

Said one Twitter user, “Scarlett Johansson is cancelled.”

https://twitter.com/TshepiMakhatha/status/1014331649323040770

Johansson was unruffled and unapologetic, according to Bustle.com, which reported she said in a statement provided by a representative: “Tell them they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto and Felicity Huffman’s reps for comment.”

Johansson’s response references other actors who have played transgender characters.

Tambor won two Emmys for playing a transgender woman in the series Transparent, but left the show after being accused of sexual harassment, which he has denied.

Huffman played a transgender man in 2005’s Transamerica and Leto won a 2014 Oscar for his turn as a transgender woman dying of AIDS in Dallas Buyers Club.

Other stars have also taken on transgender roles. Hilary Swank won an Oscar in 2000 for Boys Don’t Cry and Eddie Redmayne played trangender pioneer Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl.

Yeah, I'm gonna avoid Scarlett Johansson movies moving forward after her response. Even if this topic were complex (and it's not: trans people should play trans people), flippantly dismissing concerns over this new role really says a lot about her views regarding trans people.

— Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) July 3, 2018

Activist April Reign, who created the #OscarsSoWhite movement three years ago, called for Johansson to step away from the role.

“Scarlett Johansson is not hurting for money. She is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is about to get her own film: Black Widow,” tweeted Ms Reign.

“She is also a well-established actress so she doesn’t need the increased profile. So why would she take work away from a trans actor?”

Rub & Tug is to be helmed by director Rupert Sanders, who teamed up with Johansson for last year’s Ghost in the Shell.

In that movie, she played a character who was Japanese in the original manga series, which sparked a debate about whitewashing in Hollywood.

Johansson addressed the furore over that role in an Marie Claire interview last February, insisting she never wanted to take the role away from an Asian actor and wouldn’t have accepted the role if that were the case.

“Diversity is important in Hollywood, and I would never want to feel like I was playing a character that was offensive,” Johansson said.

“Also, having a franchise with a female protagonist driving it is such a rare opportunity.”