Sony Pictures’ live-action Helldivers adaptation has lost a potential squadmate, as Jason Momoa (Aquaman) has now departed the project.
As reported by Deadline, the reason for his departure is currently unknown, although the project is still set to move forward, with Sony now in search of a new star. It was first reported in February this year that the action star was set to join the cast, but with his exit, it’s unclear if the film can still meet its planned 10 November 2027 release.
Directed by Justin Lin of Fast & Furious franchise fame, Helldivers is based on the Arrowhead Game Studios shooter, which sees a group of elite soldiers known as the Helldivers battling alien creatures on distant planets to protect the fictional planet of Super Earth. Details on the plot of its live-action adaptation, however, remain under wraps.
The first title in the Helldivers gaming franchise launched in 2015 as a top-down co-op shooter, and would go on to receive a sequel in 2024, which not only transitioned into a third-person format but also heavily expanded on the game universe’s lore by introducing new enemy factions, with the title often considered one of the best examples of a modern live-service game. To this end, it’s unclear which game the movie will draw inspiration from, or if it will instead offer an original story set in the same universe.
The project also marks the next big-screen collaboration between Sony and PlayStation, following 2022’s Uncharted, which adapted Naughty Dog’s beloved adventure franchise and starred Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg. Outside of the big screen, the duo had also worked together for the Twisted Metal and The Last of Us series from Peacock and HBO, respectively.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
