Chaos reigns in James Gunn's DCU as conflicting reports emerge over supposed cancellation of Luca Guadagnino's Sgt Rock movie

DC fans have been left in the dark amid differing reports about the fate of the Colin Farrell-starring movie.

May 1, 2025 - 10:29

Chaos reigns in James Gunn's DCU as conflicting reports emerge over supposed cancellation of Luca Guadagnino's Sgt Rock movie

James Gunn's DC Universe has reportedly suffered a minor release schedule issue
Confusion reigns over the fate of its Colin Farrell-starring Sgt Rock movie
It's unclear if production has been delayed or if the film has been canceled

Has Luca Guadagnino's DC Universe (DCU) film Sgt Rock been delayed or canceled? It seems nobody really knows.

If you've been living under a, well, rock for the last 24 hours, allow me to fill you in on the details…

Yesterday (April 30), a report from The Wrap suggested that the World War II-era DC Comics flick, which will supposedly see Colin Farrell tackle the title role, had been outright canceled.

Per The Wrap's sources, the DCU Chapter One film would have required a lot of exterior shots once principal photography was underway. With Sgt Rock reportedly set to start filming in mid-2025, there were apparently concerns that it would miss that production start date.

Rather than simply delay the Farrell-starring movie, though, The Wrap claimed that DC Studios had decided to scrap the entire project.

Oz Cobb looks at the sun rising on a junkyard in The Penguin — Colin Farrell, seen here as Oz Cobb in The Penguin, will add to his DC Comics back catalog if he also plays Sergeant Rock (Image credit: Macall Polay/HBO)

That doesn't tell the whole story, though. Hours after The Wrap's article went live, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter (THR) published their own pieces, with both outlets indicating that Sgt Rock had been delayed, rather than officially canned.

According to the pair's sources, production has been shelved for the foreseeable future. However, Deadline and THR claim the film's development will be reassessed towards the end of 2025, with a view to potentially kickstarting production in mid-2026.

Comment from r/DCULeaks

With the movie set to shoot in the UK, the outlets' sources also suggest that a summer filming schedule makes sense. If the bulk of Sgt Rock's action is set to take place in outdoors settings, it would be better to film it when the weather is less temperamental, and conditions are much more favorable for its cast and crew.

THR also intimates that some Warner Bros. executives are still hesitant about Guadagnino helming a superhero film, due to his lack of experience in the action genre.

DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, though, are reportedly convinced he's the right man for the job. The Italian filmmaker's acclaimed back catalog, which includes hits like Challengers and Call Me By Your Name, have bred confidence among the studio's chiefs.

Add in the fact that they were pleased with the strength of the script, which was penned by frequent Guadagnino collaborator Justin Kuritzkes, and Gunn and Safran don't seem as worried as their fellow Warner Bros. execs.

The plot of Sgt. Rock has been revealed