UPDATE: The Hollywood Reporter has just confirmed the news: Sgt. Rock isn't happening. "[The] action war movie based that was to shoot this summer, will no longer move forward," writes the trade, confirming it was in pre-production and gearing up to film in England.
Sgt Rock. was also in the process of casting the members of Easy Company, with Challengers star Mike Faist lined up for a role. "A part of a female French resistance fighter had also been set, per sources."
It's reportedly "unclear" why the movie was shut down, though we do have some plot details.
"The story is said to involve Rock teaming with up with the female French resistance fighter (are there any other kind?) to find the mystical Spear of Destiny," the report explains, "the spear used to stab Jesus Christ during his crucifixion and in lore is said to have supernatural properties, before the Nazis get their hands on it."
The Wrap, meanwhile, adds, "The issue, one insider noted, came down to scheduling. The film, which would require a lot of exterior shoots, needed to start production this summer and wasn’t going to make its date. Budget didn’t appear to be an issue — it was meant to come in under $70 million."
@MyTimeToShineH was first to share the news of Sgt. Rock's cancellation, though it may well live to fight another day if those supposed scheduling problems can be figured out. Our original story follows.
Superman will be the first DCU movie from DC Studios, with Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow following next summer. Those are two major characters, but beyond that, it appears the current plan is to focus on a couple of lesser-known protagonists.
Clayface is also coming in 2026; Sgt. Rock and The Batman Part II (which isn't set in the DCU), meanwhile, are tentatively scheduled for 2027. Sgt. Rock is a pretty obscure character, and it's a little surprising that the World War II hero will be the only DCU project gracing theaters two years from now.
Well, unless it's been scrapped.
That's the claim made by insider @MyTimeToShineH today as they report, "The Sgt. Rock movie has been canceled by DC Studios." Love or hate these social media scoopers, we can't imagine they'd say something like this without being somewhat confident the movie is no longer happening.
If so, expect the Hollywood trades to weigh in sooner rather than later because the supposed cancellation of Sgt. Rock is one of the biggest news stories of 2025 so far.
Remember, the feature was written by Justin Kuritzkes—who penned Challengers and Queer—with Luca Guadagnino, the director of those movies, set to helm the project. It will revolve around the tough-as-nails leader of Easy Company, the combat unit fighting Nazi forces in Europe.
Daniel Craig is thought to have passed on the title role. The Penguin star Colin Farrell later emerged as the frontrunner to play the relatively obscure character who made his DCU debut in Creature Commandos (voiced by Maury Sterling).
In February, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran said of Sgt. Rock, "What we love about [the movie] is the opportunity to tell a story about heroism and conflict in compelling and unique way. Justin really wrote a wonderful screenplay and that’s what catapulted that project to the forefront."
If it's no longer happening, DC Studios has nothing heading to theaters in 2027. The Brave and the Bold has yet to cast its Batman, and Wonder Woman appears to be stuck in limbo. There's no word on why Sgt. Rock would be shut down, though we'd imagine it boils down to creative differences, as that's typically the reason given in these situations.
Again, nothing is confirmed, and if this isn't true, Gunn may very well set the record straight on social media soon enough. For now, let us know your thoughts on this Sgt. Rock update in the comments section.