It looks like we might be ending the week on casting rumors. Jeffrey Wells of Hollywood-Elsewhere is reporting that Josh Brolin has signed on to play Jonah Hex for Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor's big screen adaptation.
Hex, for the uninitiated, is a Western anti-hero created by writer John Albano for DC Comics in the 1970's. He was a horribly scarred version of Clint Eastwood's "Man with No Name," and it's certainly no accident he popped up in comics during the heyday of the spaghetti westerns. From all reports, Neveldine and Taylor aren't interested in tackling Hex's more traditional western adventures; they want to fully exploit the supernatural elements of his series. Given their insane sensibilities, and the tone of Hex's books, the results could be freakishly entertaining. And I think a "Crank" style Western, released just as Western movies are having a mini-renaissance, could be as slyly subversive as Hex was back in the day.
And so far, the casting rumors have proven almost as interesting as the material -- you probably remember that Thomas Jane had himself photographed in full Jonah Hex make-up in the hopes of snagging the role. His devotion didn't go unappreciated by the directors, but it didn't land him the part.
However, don't be so sure that Brolin, as perfect as he is, will be disappearing under the scars. Wells admits that Brolin's rep denied his involvement, but he remains convinced that the denial is just a smokescreen for a real casting deal. So take it with a grain of salt, but feel free to imagine how cool Brolin would be in the role. That's why we fan the flames of rumor, readers.
Whaddya think, pardners? Is Brolin the right choice for Johan Hex, or do you think someone else would be better suited for the role? Let us know in the comments.