Nearly three years ago, Netflix revealed plans to make a Gears of War movie based on the popular video game franchise. Now, the streamer is reportedly circling John Wick co-director David Leitch to bring Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad to live-action.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Leitch is currently in negotiations to helm Gears of War, but his deal hasn’t been closed yet. Leitch is a former stuntman who wasn’t credited for co-directing the original John Wick with Chad Stahelski. Since then, Leitch has established himself as a solo director with Deadpool 2, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Atomic Blonde, Bullet Train, and The Fall Guy.
Even if Leitch’s contract with Netflix does eventually get signed, Gears of War seemingly won’t be his next film. The director is reportedly preparing to shoot Amazon MGM Studio’s heist thriller How to Rob a Bank, which has Nicholas Hoult and Anna Sawai attached to star in it.
The first Gears of War game was released in 2006 and it chronicled humanity’s perilous position on a planet called Sera. The humans were under assault by the Locust, creatures who emerged from beneath the planet’s surface and wiped out countless victims in their wake. Players stepped into the role of Marcus Fenix as he and his fellow Delta Squad soldiers were on the frontlines of the war with the Locust.
Wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista has lobbied for years to play Marcus, and he does bear a strong resemblance to the character. Meanwhile, Gears of War designer Cliff Bleszinski has previously been adamant that Chris Pratt shouldn’t play any role in the film.
For nearly two decades, Gears of War has been an Xbox exclusive. However, Microsoft has announced that Gears of War: Reloaded is heading to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC this summer. The next game in the series is a prequel, Gears of War: E-Day, which is expected to arrive in 2026.