Last spring we heard that Drew Goddard would direct The Martin for Fox. The sci-fi flick sounded like a pretty ambitious project, as insiders described it as Cast Away meets Apollo 13, with the plot centering on an “astronaut stranded on Mars, who tries to survive long enough to chart a path back to Earth.” Today, The Wrap is reporting that Goddard is no longer attached, likely due to the fact that he’s now working on Marvel’s Daredevil series as well as the Sinister Six film for Sony.
As unfortunate as it is to hear that the Cabin in the Woods director will no longer be putting his talents towards this project, there is a silver lining here. Apparently, Matt Damon is eyeing the lead role and if the studio can find a suitable replacement for Goddard, he’s expected to sign on.
Unfortunately, we don’t have any word on who Fox is looking at to fill the director’s chair, but considering that they didn’t want to sit around and wait for Goddard, I imagine that they’ll find someone else to helm the film fairly soon. From what we’re hearing, the studio is pretty hot on the project and wants to get moving on it shortly, so it shouldn’t be too long before we have an update.
Tell us, are you sad to see Goddard depart The Martian? Would you like to see Matt Damon star? Sound off below!