James Gunn's DCU Hit With First Major Setback, And It Involves Colin Farrell And Sgt. Rock
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Colin Farrell already has more than enough DC Comics media cred from his Golden Globe-winning performance as Oz Cobb in The Penguin, but in the last few month, we've learned he's been making moves to join the new DC Universe franchise. Back in March, it was reported that Farrell was on deck to replace Daniel Craig in Sgt. Rock. However, word's now come in that this upcoming DC movie is no longer moving forward, which arguably marks the first major setback for the James Gunn-spearheaded DCU.
This update comes to us from The Wrap, which reports that Sgt. Rock is no longer set to film this summer in England. No specific reasoning was officially provided for why the shoot has been scrapped, though one insider who spoke with THR said the publication stated that it 'came down to the project's scheduling needs of shooting outdoors.' Another insider claimed that there was concern from the DC brass about director Luca Guadagnino's ability to tackle an action-heavy movie like this.
Although the DC Universe certainly hasn't faced challenges since James Gunn and Peter Safran, who run DC Studios together, announced the franchise in early 2023, this is the first time one of its projects has been outright cancelled. That being said, there is a little glimmer of hope. The article mentions that Sgt. Rock would be 're-assessed' at the end of this year and potentially get back off the ground for a summer 2026 shoot.
Otherwise, this version of Sgt. Rock has been set aside. Even if the 2026 shoot happens, there's no guarantee that Colin Farrell and/or Luca Guadagnino would still be able to work on it. If Sgt. Rock ends up being revived, I wouldn't be surprised if a new director and lead actor are tapped to replace them. Who knows, maybe this could be how Jeremy Allen White actually gets involved.
THR's report mentioned that Sgt. Rock was early on into the casting process before the shutdown occurred. Just like in the comics. Colin Farrell's version of the title character was going to lead the combat unit Easy Company to bring the hurt to Nazis during World War II. Mike Faist, who worked with Luca Guadagnino on Challengers, was reportedly being lined up for a role. The publication's sources also said there would be a female French Resistance fighter as a major character.
The good news is that even with Sgt. Rock being put on ice, there's still a way to see him and Easy Company in action in the DC Universe. The soldiers appeared in the third episode of Creature Commandos Season 1, which can be streamed with a Max subscription. As far as the wider DC Universe goes, Superman kicks off the cinematic side of the franchise on July 11, and then Peacemaker Season 2 hits the 2025 TV schedule in August.
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