DC Studios has recruited Colin Farrell once again, but it’s not for The Penguin. It’s being reported that the award-winning star of the HBO drama is joining James Gunn’s DC Universe as one of the canon’s lesser-known superheroes. Despite already being featured in one of DC’s most high-profile and well-received projects in recent memory, Farrell sets his sights on a creative collaboration for the ages. The project has been in and out of development for decades, but Sgt. Rock is finally ready to make his big-screen debut.
According to Deadline, Colin Farrell is in talks to join Luca Guadagnino’s Sgt. Rock, an action period piece set during World War II. After Daniel Craig pulled out of the starring role, it seems the studio moved quickly to attach another actor, this time someone familiar with the superhero genre. Farrell will now be starring in both Gunn’s DCU and in the Elseworlds universe established by Matt Reeves’ The Batman as completely unrelated characters. Of course, it certainly helps that he is almost unrecognizable in the latter franchise. It’s unclear if Sgt. Rock will lead into further appearances in the DCU, but the character did pop up briefly in Max’s Creature Commandos.

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It does not sound like the casting news is set in stone yet, but it appears Farrell is well on his way to starring in Sgt. Rock. Once the deal is finalized, expect Farrell to be on set to report for duty in the DC Studios production later this summer. As the titular character, Sgt. Franklin John Rock, Farrell will be fighting Nazis throughout Europe until the very end of World War II. The screenplay was created by Queer and Challengers screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes, who returns to collaborate with Guadagnino for a third time.
Another Actor Was Eyed for ‘Sgt. Rock’ After Craig Departed DCU Film

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Before Colin Farrell nabbed the lead role in Sgt. Rock, another familiar name from television surrounded the DC Studios film. It was first reported that The Bear star Jeremy Allen White was being eyed to play the WWI hero before the latest casting update. Obviously, it did not come to fruition, but it seems the company has the two-time Emmy-winning actor in their sights for a spot in the DC Universe. Meanwhile, Daniel Craig, who was set to team up with Luca Guadagnino again after his buzzy performance in Queer, departed the project earlier this year. Now, it appears he could be joining another franchise.
Craig is reportedly set to join Greta Gerwig’s Narnia from Netflix as Uncle Andrew Ketterley, an antagonist from The Chronicles of Narnia book series. The proposed seven-film series will be a lengthy endeavor for all involved, not unlike HBO’s reboot of Harry Potter, which will span a decade. It is not clear if Narnia got in the way of his short-lived DCU role, but he was also never formally offered the role of Sgt. Rock by James Gunn and Peter Safran. The DC Studios duo previously said they would only begin filming Sgt. Rock if they got the “perfect actor,” and it seems they feel like they have.
Source: Deadline