THR reports that Daniel Craig has left the Sgt. Rock film from DC Studios. The actor was supposed to work on the project again with queer director Luca Guadagnino, but a replacement is currently being sought. Justin Kuritzkes, who collaborated with Guadagnino on Challengers and Queer, wrote the script for the movie.
The reason Craig left the project is unclear from the report. Some claim that Craig wasn’t as excited about the role because Queer didn’t live up to expectations at the box office and during awards season, while another claims that it came down to schedule conflicts with his wife, Rachel Weisz. Jeremy Allen White is being explored as a potential replacement for Sgt. Rock, and DC Studios is still aiming to begin filming the movie in the UK this summer.
Sgt. Rock, created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert, debuted in Our Army During War #83 in 1959. He is, to use the words of another rugged, hairy man, a tough-as-nails World War II soldier who is the finest at what he does. For decades, Hollywood has been attempting to start the process of making a Sgt. Rock film and Arnold Schwarzenegger was initially considered for the part.
Instead of being a traditional superhero, the character, who debuted in 1958, is a non-commissioned officer in the American army who commands his unit, “Easy Company,” in the World War II theater in Europe. (However, he does go on to become Lex Luthor’s chief of staff.) James Gunn and Peter Safran, co-chiefs of DC Studios, are reportedly thrilled about the film as a simple war film and see it as an opportunity to showcase the diverse range of content they plan to produce under the DC label. For the title part, they are already looking for a different actor.
Craig will also play Benoit Blanc again in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, which will debut on Netflix later this year.
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)
