Daniel Craig will not be joining the DC Universe after all. The actor has withdrawn from consideration for the lead role in Sgt. Rock, the DC Comics adaptation directed by Craig’s Queer collaborator Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes.
Although reports of Craig’s potential involvement surfaced in November, a source familiar with the project clarified that he never formally committed to it.
The character of Sgt. Rock, introduced in 1959, is not a traditional superhero but rather a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army who leads his unit, Easy Company, through battles in the European theater during World War II. (Eventually, he does rise to the position of chief of staff for Lex Luthor.)
DC Studios co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran reportedly view the film as a straightforward war movie and consider it an opportunity to showcase the variety of content they plan to develop under the DC banner.
Sgt. Rock – DC Comics
They are now actively searching for another actor to take on the role.
Craig’s performance in Guadagnino’s Queer earned him some of the strongest reviews of his career, though it did not ultimately result in major awards season nominations.
Next, Craig will reprise his role as detective Benoit Blanc in Wake Up Dead Man, the third installment in writer-director Rian Johnson’s Knives Out mystery series. Additionally, he is set to star alongside Charlize Theron in Two for the Money, directed by Justin Lin for Apple Studios.
Guadagnino’s streak of filmmaking continues this October with the release of the Julia Roberts-led thriller After the Hunt. He is also attached to direct a new adaptation of American Psycho starring Austin Butler, as well as an adaptation of the gay romance novel Separate Rooms, featuring Josh O’Connor.
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