'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' Considering 3 Possible Lead Actors?

Well we know George Clooney won't be an U.N.C.L.E. agent in Steven Soderbergh's The Man From U.N.C.L.E.  The Wrap reports today, the studio wants younger blood for the lead role and are currently considering Ryan Gosling, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and rising star Alexander Skarsgard.  All excellent actors to choose from, so it's a real tough call.

Gosling's film Drive opens today and his performance has drawn rave reviews thus far.  Gordon-Levitt's upcoming movie 50/50 (September 30) is already generating Oscar buzz.  And Skarsgard's Straw Dogs also opens today, but he's likely more well known for starring in HBO's True Blood.  Of course, it was his role in the mini-series Generation Kill that introduced me to his obvious talent.

The film is loosely based on the show that aired in 1964 and starred Robert Vaughn and David McCallum as agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin.  The agents from U.N.C.L.E. are responsible for protecting the world against their evil adversaries of THRUSH.

Clooney was being looked at for the older agent Napoleon Solo, before he withdrew from consideration.  The three young actors are up for the role of Illya Kuryakin, and if you've checked out the IMDB page for David McCallum, you're already aware that Skarsgard is a dead ringer for the part.  He would've been my pick for an agent any way, again because of his performance in Generation Kill.

It's still going to be a tough call for Warner Bros. to decide.  Then they have to find the ideal Napoleon Solo.  Makes me glad I'm not the one making the selection.  

Comments

[Josh Baldwin]

Gosling is huge right now, so he's likely the number one choice. I'd like to see JGL get bigger roles, he really should be a bigger star by now. And Skarsgard would probably be the cheapest, as he really needs a boost to get him beyond his True Blood character.

While all 3 could be good, JGL has my vote.