Daniel Craig has dropped out of DC’s upcoming movie Sgt. Rock, but the project is seemingly still on track at Warner Bros. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio is “hoping to shoot the feature this summer” and is in the process of finding Craig’s replacement. The outlet notes that The Bear star Jeremy Allen White could be in the running to headline the film, but it doesn’t sound like any frontrunners have emerged just yet. Sgt. Rock, which is set to be directed by Luca Guadagnino does not have a release date as of this writing.
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As for Craig, it’s unknown why he left Sgt. Rock. The Hollywood Reporter heard from some sources that scheduling issues were the culprit, as allegedly, Craig’s schedule “ran into some roadblocks with that of his wife, actress Rachel Weisz.” Another possibility is that the actor dropped out because the drama Queer, Craig’s previous collaboration with Guadagnino, underperformed commercially and on the awards circuit.
Word of Craig’s involvement with Sgt. Rock was reported in November 2024, with Justin Kuritzkes (who’s written Guadagnino’s Challengers and Queer) penning the script. The character of Sgt. Rock debuted in DC’s comic Our Army at War #83, which was published back in 1959. Despite being around for decades, Sgt. Rock is a relatively obscure figure within the DC canon. After the movie was first announced, DC Studios co-head James Gunn defended the project from criticism suggesting the DC Universe franchise is focusing too heavily on “niche” characters.
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Hollywood has been trying to get a Sgt. Rock movie off the ground for years. Back in the 1980s, a version reteaming Arnold Schwarzenegger with his Predator director John McTiernan failed to come to fruition. Another attempt that would have paired Bruce Willis with director Guy Ritchie fell apart after Ritchie turned his attention to Sherlock Holmes.
Craig leaving Sgt. Rock is a setback, but it seems like it will be a relatively minor one. The film’s creative team remains intact, and it’s encouraging that WB is hoping to start production later this year. That the studio isn’t wasting any time in their efforts to find a new leading man suggests Sgt. Rock is a priority, and hopefully a new actor joins the project soon. If the search goes on for an extended period of time, it could potentially have a domino effect on Sgt. Rock. Guadagnino is also reportedly developing a new adaptation of American Psycho, so it wouldn’t be ideal if the targeted Sgt. Rock start date was pushed back. Sgt. Rock being subject to delays could give Guadagnino a window to move on to something else, but it sounds like the filmmakers are committed to getting the DC film in front of the cameras soon.
While WB is undoubtedly trying to find the best available actor to headline Sgt. Rock, it’s still disappointing to see Craig depart the project. It would have been fascinating to see the blend of action prowess and dramatic chops that made his James Bond so memorable through the lens of a comic book adaptation exploring the impact war has on soldiers. Sgt. Rock has the potential to be a unique and special offering in the DC Universe, and Craig would have been able to handle the role with ease. It will be a tall task to find a suitable replacement, and hopefully that actor — whether it’s White or someone else — is able to leave their mark on the character.
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