(CBR) – The Hollywood Reporter reports that Academy Award-nominated actor Ryan Gosling has two superhero franchises knocking on his door.
In addition to a meeting he took with Marvel Studios about taking the lead in “Doctor Strange,” sources say that Gosling is on director David Ayer's short list for the 2016 Warner Bros. super villain team-up “Suicide Squad.”
While the film was just confirmed Wednesday and the script still going through drafts, Ayer and the studio are already voicing their desire to make “Squad” an, as THR puts it, “A-list ensemble piece filled with colorful anti-heroes.” The site's sources say Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Tom Hardy are being courted along with Gosling, information which bolsters Deadline's claim that the studio was already “in discussions with four A-list stars” for the film. Warner Bros. has yet to comment on this speculation.
If Gosling signs up for “Doctor Strange,” it will mark a change in the actor's approach to his career. Traditionally, contracts for superhero films involve signing on for more than one movie, which would go against Gosling's traditional career path; the “Drive” star turned down the role of Hal Jordan in 2011's “Green Lantern” when he noticed his contract would bind him to sequels. However, given the basic premise of “Suicide Squad,” which sees characters die on a regular basis, there's a good chance that this is the exact sort of superhero movie he would actually take on.