Daniel Craig drops out of Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Sgt Rock’ for DC Studios
Just as production was due to begin on the latest DC Studios project, Sgt Rock, it has been announced that leading actor Daniel Craig is no longer attached to the project.
The film, due to start filming later this year, would have seen Craig reunite with director Luca Guadagnino and screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes, who he worked with on 2024’s Queer.
At the time of writing, the exact reason behind Craig’s departure from the project is unknown. His departure comes as the latest roadblock in a nearly 40-year battle to get Sgt Rock onto the silver screen. First appearing in 1959 in the comic book G.I. Combat #68, the hardened World War II-era sergeant is a cult favourite among fans of DC Comics.
Originally, the idea for a standalone Sgt Rock film was first drafted during the 1980s, with Arnold Schwarzenegger tied to the role. This version of the film never materialised and, over the next few years, as many as five different screenplays were written for the project.
During the late 2000s, the idea was reprised once again, with Guy Ritchie set to direct the film and Bruce Willis considered for the titular role. However, this version of the film failed due to Ritchie’s scheduling conflict with Sherlock Holmes at the time.
Now, Sgt Rock will be led by Guadagnino, with Kuritzkes writing the screenplay – the sixth or seventh different screenplay to be penned for this project. With filming due to commence in the summer, it is inevitable that Craig’s departure will have a knock-on effect to the rest of the production.
Reportedly, DC Studios is already considering other actors for the project, but nobody has been announced for the role at this stage. Either way, fans are hopeful that the film will still materialise, rather than spending another few decades shelved.
There is currently no release date attached to the project.
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