Daniel Craig (Knives Out; No Time to Die; Logan Lucky) is no longer joining the DC Universe as it's being reported that he's exited DC Studios' upcoming Sgt. Rock film, which has Academy Award-nominee Luca Guadagnino (Challengers; Call Me by Your Name; Bones and All) attached to direct and was tentatively scheduled to kickstart production at the end of this year.
Nexus Point News was the first to report the news, which has since been confirmed by all three major trades.
As for why he's decided to leave the project, well, that remains somewhat unclear. According to The Hollywood Reporter, some sources have told them there were scheduling conflicts with the film's expected Fall shooting dates, while other sources have claimed Craig was disappointed with the box office performance and lack of awards recognition for Queer, resulting in him deciding to reevalute his upcoming film choices.
However, Variety says Craig never actually committed to starring in the film and that there was never a formal deal in place, meaning there may have only been an offer on the table or he may have just been on DC's wish list. Either way, Craig has decided to pass and the role is now apparently up for grabs again, although it sounds like the studio may have already found a replacement.
As per The InSneider, 2x Primetime Emmy-winner Jeremy Allen White (The Bear; The Iron Claw; Shameless) has been offered the lead role in Sgt. Rock. No word on whether he's leaning toward accepting the role or passing, but the studio is apparently confident they'll be able to bring him onboard. White is currently in the midst of filming The Bear season four and is expected to wrap the latest batch of episodes in early May, so his schedule should be clear for a late 2025 shooting schedule.
DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran are reportedly quite high on Sgt. Rock, which has been scripted by Justin Kuritzkes (Queer; Challengers), and want to make it a straightforward war film, with an aim to showcase to fans the wide variety of content DC Studios could potentially produce over the next several years.
For Craig fans, he can be seen next in Netflix's Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery and is also scheduled to shoot Justin Lin's Two for the Money, where he'll star opposite Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road; Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness; Fast X).