The road to a Y: The Last Man adaptation has been fraught with enough setbacks to fill a Capuchin monkey prison. First there was a film adaptation in the works at New Line starring Shia LaBeouf but that fell through. In 2010 Louis Leterrier expressed interest in creating a limited television series but nothing ever came of it. FX announced plans to develop a program in 2015 but the show wasn't ordered to series until February of last year after a complete cast was ultimately finalized. Unfortunately, the adaptation has been hit with another significant blow and this one is pretty impactful.
According to Collider, Irish actor Barry Keoghan (DUNKIRK, THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER) who was set to play the lead character Yorick, has left the project. No specific reason was given for Keoghan's departure. The young actor's star has risen quite quickly since his turn in Christopher Nolan's 2017's film DUNKIRK. Last year Keoghan starred in the Emmy award winning HBO series Chernobyl and later this year will enter the MCU as Druig in Marvel's THE ETERNALS. He's also got A24's GREEN KNIGHT set to land in May, an update of the classic medieval epic poem.
For those of you not familiar with the source material Y: The Last Man, follows the exploits of Yorick Brown as he navigates a post apocalyptic world where every single man on Earth has been killed by a mysterious plague, leaving only women. Together with his pet Capuchin monkey Ampersand, the duo traverse this new world in search of his girlfriend Beth across a cultural landscape that's significantly changed. The show is set to explore issues of gender, class, race, and survival. Y: The Last Man already sports an impressive cast with Diane Lane, Imogen Poots, Amber Tamblyn, and Lashana Lynch all set to star. A search has begun for Keoghan's replacement but no specific names have been tossed out at this time.
No word yet on whether or not this news will change the expected late 2020 release date of the show, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did. It's not like Y: The Last Man just lost "man sitting at table four." They lost their lead. And with a property as beloved as this among comic fans, casting the right actor for the role is essential.
So what are your guys' thoughts on this news? Disappointed at another setback? Happy Keoghan left? Who would you like to see replace him? Hit us up with your comments below!