James McAvoy is currently gearing up for a return as Professor Charles Xavier in Bryan Singer’s mutant superhero epic X-Men: Days of Future Past, but if rumours are to be believed the British actor may be lining up another comic book movie adaptation, with Bloody Disgusting reporting that the Wanted star is circling Relativity Media’s remake of The Crow.
Based upon James O’Barr’s acclaimed 1989 comic book, The Crow centres on Eric Draven, a man who comes back to life in order to extract revenge against the people responsible for killing him and his fiancee. Draven was first portrayed by Brandon Lee (Showdown in Little Tokyo) in director Alex Proyas’ (Dark City) 1994 film adaptation, while Mark Dacascos (Brotherhood of the Wolf) appeared as the character in the short-lived 1998 TV series The Crow: Stairway to Heaven.
McAvoy becomes the latest name to be linked to the lead role in the new remake, with Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook) originally attached to star and Channing Tatum (G.I. Joe: Retaliation), Mark Wahlberg (Pain & Gain) and Ryan Gosling (The Place Beyond the Pines) all rumoured to have been under consideration. The project has also went through a number of directors since it was first announced in 2008, passing through the hands of Stephen Norrington (Blade) and Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) before F. Javier Gutiérrez (Before the Fall) came on board last month.