Michael Fassbender Drops Out Of ‘Jane’s Got A Gun’

Michael Fassbender has stepped out of his role in Jane’s Got a Gun, the upcoming western starring Natalie Portman, Empire reported on Tuesday, March 12.

Fassbender was set to play Portman’s ex-lover, whose aid she enlists to fend off a gang of outlaws looking to kill her wounded husband. With Fassbender’s departure, director Lynne Ramsey is playing a little musical chairs with the cast.

Now Joel Edgerton, who was formally tapped to be the leader of the outlaw gang, will step into the role of ex-lover thus replacing Fassbender, while Jude Law will move in to the villain role.

Law is no stranger to playing a heavy having turned in a menacing turn as the lecherous hit-man trailing the heroes in the Tom Hanks’ film Road to Perdition. He currently stars in Steven Soderbergh’s Side Effects and will next star in Wes Anderson’s ensemble film The Grand Budapest Hotel.

The Hollywood Reporter noted that scheduled shooting on Jane’s Got a Gun, which will begin in April 2013, conflicted with the involvement of Michael Fassbender in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

As for Natalie Portman, the actress recently dyed her hair blonde for an undisclosed film role that may or may not be Jane’s Got a Gun. We’ll just have to wait for pics from the set to arrive, which is sure to happen in the next month or two.

Some of her next work includes the superhero film Thor: The Dark World, which she reportedly did not wish to do but had to due to contractual obligations.

Rumors of Portman’s discontent with the sure-to-be-blockbuster allegedly began when director Patty Jenkins, her own recommendation for the helm, was removed by Marvel over creative differences.

Portman has also been looking for some time off to care for her son.

Are you disappointed that Michael Fassbender will not be starring in Jane’s Got a Gun? What do you think about the casting changes?

[Image via cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com]