Who’s the first person you’d think of to replace Robert Downey Jr. in a movie? While there may be several people who spring to mind, I’d be willing to bet Daniel Craig isn’t one of them. However director Jon Favreau disagrees, as following the news earlier this week that Downey Jr. was ditching the upcoming comic book movie, Cowboys & Aliens (apparently because a Sherlock Holmes sequel is being fast-tracked and will begin shooting in June), it appears Craig is their choice to take over his role.
Variety reports that the 007 actor is in talks for the lead role of Zeke Johnson, who must find a way to get the Wild West cowboys and indians to stop fighting each other and unite against a common foe – aliens who’ve crash-landed in their isolated town.
Apparently it’s still too early to say whether Craig will accept the role, which will partially depend on what’s happening with James Bond. At the moment no new 007 films can get the greenlight until the uncertain financial future of MGM is secured, however with that expected to be sorted out in the next few months, Bond 23 could start shooting this summer, which is just when Cowboys & Aliens goes in front of the camera.
This means that while Favreau and Dreamworks may want Craig for Cowboys & Aliens, don’t be shocked if the role eventually goes to somebody else.