Richard Madden has entered talks to join Marvel's forthcoming The Eternals.
The Bodyguard and Game of Thrones actor would join Angelina Jolie and Kumail Nanjiani on the project, reports Variety. Marvel has declined to comment on the casting news.
The Rider filmmaker Chloé Zhao has been hired to direct the comic book adaptation, with the film focussing on a group of near-immortal beings (The Eternals) who battle against a villainous offshoot named the Deviants.
Madden would play one of the central characters, Ikaris, a member of The Eternals. The film's focus is said to be on Jolie's character, Sersi.
The Eternals is expected to start shooting towards the end of the year and will likely come after Marvel's Black Widow. Read more about Marvel's "Phase 4" plans here.
Taking the role could scupper Madden's chances of becoming the next James Bond.
The actor has been rumoured to take over as 007 from Daniel Craig ever since Bodyguard debuted on BBC One. Taking on a central Marvel role could potentially fill the actor's schedule for the foreseeable future and make becoming Bond logistically impossible. But, As Connery's Bond would say, "Never say never".
