The first image of Scarlett Johansson in Ghost In The Shell has been unveiled - and not everyone is happy.

Paramount and Dreamworks released the shot of the 31-year-old in the first live action version of the Japanese anime classic.

In it she plays Major Motoko Kusanagi, an augmented-cybernetic human who is as Japanese as she sounds.

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White as a ghost: First image of Scarlett Johansson in Ghost In The Shell has unveiledm but fans have reacted furiously to 'whitewashing' of the Japanese anime classic

However, according to Thursday's press release, the character is only referred to as 'The Major' - with the studios apparently predicting the backlash from casting yet another Asian role as a white actress.

Nevertheless the tweak seemed to go unnoticed by furious fans, who took to Twitter to express outrage and bafflement in equal amounts.

One petition titled 'DreamWorks: Stop Whitewashing Asian Characters!' has already garnered 66,000 signatures.

According to Mashable, many fans questioned why Pacific Rim and Babel's Oscar-nominated Rinko Kikuchi was not considered for the role.

Classic: Based on the Kodansha Comics manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow, Ghost In The Shell is - in the source material at least - set in mid-twenty-first century Japan

Even Marvels' Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. star Ming-Na Wen tweeted her disappointment, posting: 'Nothing against Scarlett Johansson. In fact, I'm a big fan. But everything against this Whitewashing of Asian role.'

Based on the Kodansha Comics manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow, Ghost In The Shell is - in the source material at least - set in mid-twenty-first century Japan.

Technology has advanced to the point where many humans possess partial cybernetic brains that allow them to interface directly with computers - which makes cybercrime a much more prevalent problem.

Disbelief: Even Marvels' Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. star Ming-Na Wen tweeted her disappointment, posting: 'Nothing against Scarlett Johansson. In fact, I'm a big fan. But everything against this Whitewashing of Asian role.'

The film tells the story of 'Major, a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid, who leads the elite task force Section 9,' the studios revealed.

'Devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic’s advancements in cyber technology.'

Scarlett has been Hollywood's go-to girl for action roles following the commercial success of The Avengers films, in which she plays Black Widow, as well as 2014's Lucy, which despite mixed reviews made almost 12 times its $40million budget at the box office.

Typecast: Scarlett has been Hollywood's go-to girl for action roles following the commercial success of The Avengers films, in which she plays Black Widow

It is not the first time Hollywood studios have come under fire for casting white actresses in Asian roles.

Most recently Mackenzie Davis played Mindy Park - identified as Korean-American in the novel - in Ridley Scott’s The Martian; while Cameron Crowe was slammed for casting Emma Stone as half Hawaiian/Chinese in Aloha last year.

Ghost In The Shell - directed by Snow White And The Huntsman's Rupert Sanders - is set for release on March 31, 2017.