Sgt Rock release date speculation as Daniel Craig drops out

So far, no reason has been given for Craig's departure, but there are rumours that a scheduling clash prevented him from taking on the role, while others have claimed that Craig simply turned against the idea.

Still, it appears that the ever-prolific Guadagnino will be pressing ahead with the project with an as-yet-unconfirmed star – so when are we likely to see the film? Who could replace Craig? And who actually is Sgt Rock?

Read on for everything we know so far.

Sgt Rock release date speculation

Unfortunately, we're still a ways off knowing when exactly Sgt Rock will be released in cinemas – with filming not yet under way on the project.

It's one of several films in development for James Gunn's rebooted DC Universe – which is set to launch with the release of Superman this summer – with others including Craig Gillespie's Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the Mike Flanagan-penned Clayface, Andy Muschietti's The Brave and the Bold and James Mangold's Swamp Thing.

Guadagnino has himself earned a reputation as being one of the most prolific directors currently working: he released two films last year in Challengers and Queer, is releasing another this autumn in After the Hunt and is also attached to various other projects including an American Psyhco remake and a film titled Separate Rooms with Josh O'Connor and Léa Seydoux.

Still, according to The Hollywood Reporter, DC is hoping to move ahead with a production start in the UK sometime this summer, so there might not be too long to wait.

According to World of Reel, there have been rumours of a release in late May 2026 – Memorial Day weekend, to be precise – but these reports are unsubstantiated for now and so should be taken with a fairly hefty portion of salt.

We'll update this page when we hear anything more concrete.

Sgt Rock cast: Who could replace Daniel Craig?

It's not yet clear who will be stepping in to the role vacated by Craig's exit, but the project is reportedly currently looking at alternatives, and one name currently doing the rounds is The Bear star Jeremy Allen White, so it will be interesting to see if that comes to anything.

It's not clear which other actors are in the picture for the role, but if there's one thing we've learnt from the ongoing James Bond situation, it's that replacing Craig isn't an easy task, so let's just hope DC can find a rather quicker solution that Eon...

As for which actors might be part of the supporting cast, unfortunately that remains a mystery at this stage as well. More news when we have it!

Who is Sgt Rock?

If you're wondering who exactly Sgt Rock is, he dates back to 1959, before the superhero boom of the early 1960s, and most of his stories focus on his undertaking of dangerous missions during the Second World War.

Created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert, his full name is Sergeant Franklin John Rock and he served during WWII as an infantry non-commissioned officer, rising to authority within his unit, Easy Company.

As for his powers, he is known as a crack shot – able to shoot down several German fighter planes with a single submachine gun – and he has near superhuman levels of endurance and strength.

Meanwhile, he also has a sixth sense to warn him of impending enemy attack – which he refers to as his Combat Antenna.

Sgt Rock's most recent solo comic book series ceased publication in 2009 and the character has been seldomly seen since, which means this film version might opt for a bold reimagining in line with Gunn's own Peacemaker and Vigilante.

Indeed, it's possible even that DC Studios' Sgt Rock will have some connection to John Cena's militaristic character, which might go some way to explaining this project's prioritisation over more established heroes. We'll have to wait and see for now.

This is far from the first time there have been attempts to bring the character to the big screen – with both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis having been linked to the role in the past – but this would be the first live-action appearance for him.

He has briefly appeared in a number of animated films and TV shows, with Maury Sterling, Karl Urban, Fred Tatasciore and Fred Dryer all having voiced him in various projects.

Is there a trailer for Sgt Rock?

No, and given that production is yet to start we'll likely have to wait for some time yet.

Still, why not treat yourself to another viewing of the Superman trailer below to get you in the mood for this new era of DC movies?

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