While already busy in another adaptation of an iconic property, the live-action Gundam movie is looking to expand its cast with the addition of Noah Centineo. Development on a live-action adaptation of Yoshiyuki Tomino’s anime franchise, which revolves around intergalactic human colonies launching a war for independence from Earth in an overpopulated future and utilizing the titular armor, has been underway for nearly a decade.
The years since have seen a variety of names join and depart the live-action Gundam movie, including Lost‘s Brian K. Vaughan, Kong: Skull Island‘s Jordan Vogt-Roberts and Netflix. The adaptation found new life in late 2024 with Sweet Tooth‘s Jim Mickle signing on to write and direct for Legendary Pictures, while Sydney Sweeney came onboard to lead the cast a few months later, with a general story concept having her being part of a star-crossed lover combination on opposite sides of a war
Now, as first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the former DC Extended Universe star is currently in talks to join the cast of the live-action Gundam movie at Legendary. The film is currently being headlined by Sydney Sweeney, who sources report is very involved in the casting process, which previously included Outer Banks veteran Drew Starkey in the male lead role that Centineo is in talks for, with negotiations having reportedly fallen through between them.
While Centineo has been on a steady rise in stardom since co-leading Netflix’s To All The Boys movie franchise, his potential role in the live-action adaptation of the Gundam franchise comes amid the actor’s growing involvement in franchise filmmaking. He had previously aimed to be the DC Extended Universe’s Atom Smasher, beginning with Black Adam, only for James Gunn’s soft DC Universe reboot and the 2022 movie’s underperformance to likely have shut this down.
More importantly, Centineo is currently in the midst of filming the Street Fighter movie, which also hails from Legendary Pictures. The studio has certainly looked to follow up their success with the Monsterverse franchise with another anime-inspired sci-fi series, and Gundam seems like the best candidate yet for the studio, which, if the Street Fighter adaptation takes off in a major way, would give further confidence to them staying in business with Centineo.
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With no deal currently closed, however, one of the bigger factors as to whether Centineo closes his deal to star in the live-action Gundam movie is his production schedule. Right after Street Fighter, the star is leading the Rambo prequel movie, which director Jalmari Helander recently confirmed to ScreenRant, will begin shooting on January 26. If Legendary and Sweeney’s schedule are looking to begin production around the same time, Centineo may have to bow out much in the way Starkey did.
- Created by
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Yoshiyuki Tomino
- First Episode Air Date
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April 7, 1979
- Cast
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Tôru Furuya, Shūichi Ikeda, Hirotaka Suzuoki
The Gundam franchise is a cornerstone of mecha anime, featuring giant robots known as “mobile suits” in various wartime settings. Originating with Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979, it explores complex themes of war, politics, and humanity through the struggles of pilots who navigate these massive machines. The franchise spans multiple timelines and universes, creating a rich tapestry of interconnected stories and standalone narratives.