Charlie Hunnam Officially Drops Out Of ‘Pacific Rim 2,’ Why The ‘Sons Of Anarchy’ Star Will Not Return As Raleigh Beckett

Sons of Anarchy fans should prepare to be disappointed – Charlie Hunnam will not be back for Pacific Rim 2.

There was cause for celebration when it was announced that John Boyega would lead the sequel and play the son of Idris Elba’s Stacker Pentecost. However, there was still a lot of doubt as to whether the film would actually take off because no other cast members had been confirmed, namely members from the successful first film.

While there’s still a lot of unknowns about who is returning for the sequel, fans now sadly know that at least one main actor won’t be reprising his role. According to Collider, Charlie Hunnam recently confirmed that he won’t be reprising his role as Raleigh Beckett in Pacific Rim 2.

Hunnam said that the early draft of the film featured him in a main role. But the filming for Pacific Rim 2 conflicted with other projects he is currently busy with, making him unavailable.

“There was definitely an incarnation of this sequel that involved me, but there was a changing of ownership, of the studio itself, Legendary, and I think that because they partnered up with a Chinese company — and the film was so successful there — there was a real agenda to get that film into production as soon as possible,” Hunnam said to MTV News. “And I was already booked up for a significant period of the time they were going to need.”

One of Charlie Hunnam’s projects is Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, which Warner Bros. is hoping will be the start of a huge new franchise. And it’s that sort of filming that is likely keeping Hunnam out of Pacific Rim 2.

While the Sons of Anarchy star won’t be on the screen for round two between kaiju vs. jaeger, Hunnam did say that he is glad they are still going through with a sequel and that he is excited to see it.

With Hunnam officially out and Star Wars star Boyega coming in as the lead role, it will be interesting to see if any of the other actors will be reprising their roles from the first installment.

Among the actors returning is Rinko Kikuchi, who received praise even though he had a limited role. Then there’s Charlie Day’s Newt and Ron Perlman’s Hannibal Chau.

Bloody Disgusting states that Pacific Rim: Maelstrom was written by Derek Connolly and will be directed by Steven S. DeKnight. Derek Connolly’s most recent work includes penning the script for Jurassic World, while Steven S. DeKnight was the former showrunner for Daredevil.

Writer/director Guillermo del Toro, who recently assured fans that a lot of actors would be reprising their roles in the sequel, will be back as executive producer.

In a recent interview, del Toro wouldn’t go into any details about the characters or plot, but he did describe it as a postwar film with many returning stars from the first film.

The only new character rumored to be joining the sequel, other than Boyega, is Scott Eastwood. Del Toro didn’t make any comments about the film’s characters, and neither did Hunnam, so much of the film’s details remain foggy.

Production for the sequel hasn’t begun either and likely won’t anytime soon. Especially considering quite a few casting decisions have yet to be made. Despite the reluctance of the film’s crew to announce the stars of the highly-anticipated sequel, filming is rumored to begin later this year or perhaps early in 2017.

A release date of February 23, 2018, is currently planned.

So fans, what do you think about Charlie Hunnam’s absence from the Pacific Rim 2? Let us know in the comments and him check out in the first trailer for King Arthur below!

[Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images]