Downey leaves Cowboys and Aliens

Posted on January 13, 2010
Filed Under Actors, Directors, Remake, Sequel

It looks like Robert Downey Jr. won’t ride into the wild West after all. Los Angeles Times writes that Downey, who had been poised to reunite with “Iron Man” director Jon Favreau for the science-fiction western “Cowboys and Aliens,” won’t star in the film. The movie will still move forward with Favreau and studio DreamWorks is now seeking a new hero to replace him. Production is tentatively set to begin this year for a planned release in summer 2011.

Originally a serialized graphic novel, “Cowboys and Aliens” focuses on outer-space creatures who land in Arizona circa the mid-19th century intent on enslaving the local population until a group of cowboys and Apache Indians fight back.

Downey was set to play the gunslinger Zeke Jackson, who leads the anti-alien revolt. But scheduling issues forced a re-think. The project would have marked a third potential franchise a resurgent Downey would have been involved with, after “Iron Man” and “Sherlock Holmes,” which is expected to spawn a sequel.

While Downey has not committed to anything new (he will star in the Todd Phillips comedy “Due Date” opposite Zach Galifianakis, which has wrapped), his parting with “Cowboys” could re-ignite speculation that a “Sherlock” sequel is on the fast track. He also has been associated with the “Harvey” remake at DreamWorks (at least before Steven Spielberg opted out) but right now it’s a guessing game.

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