In a big DCU bombshell on Wednesday, a Sgt. Rock film is apparently in the works at DC Studios with a major star attached.
According to a new Deadline report, former James Bond actor Daniel Craig is in talks to star in Sgt. Rock with Oscar-nominated filmmaker Luca Guadagnino on board to direct. Should the deal go through, it would only be Craig and Guadagnino's latest team-up after A24 indie Queer, which hits U.S. theaters in limited release on November 27.
IGN has reached out to DC Studios for comment. Plot details are being kept under wraps at the moment, but Justin Kuritzkes, who previously collaborated with Guadagnino on Challengers and Queer, is reportedly writing the script.
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn hasn't announced any sort of Sgt. Rock project yet, but it would certainly be a more under-the-radar pick when it comes to comic-book characters (which also wouldn't be surprising for Gunn, who brought the once-underappreciated Guardians of the Galaxy stars of the MCU).
Sgt. Franklin John Rock was created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert and made his first appearance in June 1959. A World War II solider and a capable combat fighter, Sgt. Rock's continued to appear in DC media here and there throughout the decades, though never the star of a major project himself. There have been a number of failed attempts to bring him to the big screen in the past, with Arnold Schwarzenegger among the A-listers who were once attached to the character.
Plus, Craig and Guadagnino would certainly be two big names for Gunn to add to his burgeoning DCU. Craig, of course, is most famous for playing Bond for five films from 2006-2021. Among countless other film roles, he's also known for portraying Detective Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson's Knives Out film series. Guadagnino, meanwhile, gained international recognition for Call Me By Your Name in 2017, followed by the likes of 2018's Suspiria remake, 2022 romance horror Bones and All, and this past summer's Challengers.
The news comes as Gunn's DCU officially prepares to kick off with animated series Creature Commandos on December 5 on Max. The big screen DCU debut, however, will come next summer, with Superman flying into theaters on July 11, 2025.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
