Joseph Gordon-Levitt turned down the lead role in Legendary’s Godzilla reboot

It must be pretty awesome being Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The talented actor (who has yet to carry a big studio picture by himself) is being pursued for pretty much every big role out there from JUSTICE LEAGUE to GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. Now word has come down that he has passed on the role.

Gordon-Levitt would certainly have been interesting in the lead for GODZILLA. The role does not require any particular body type as a superhero movie would. I mean Matthew Broderick played the lead in the 1998 version, how hard could it be? Variety is reporting that while Gordon-Levitt may have passed, there are offers out there to Henry Cavill, Caleb Landry-Jones, and Scott McNairy.

With Frank Darabont rewriting the screenplay, GODZILLA is beginning to bear signs of a troubled production, which never bodes well. Could Gordon-Levitt’s pass on the project be because of these issues? Or possibly due to a commitment to another potential franchise? Or both?

GODZILLA is still slated to open on May 16, 2014.