It appears as though actor Dylan O’Brien is on the mend following a scary accident on the set of Maze Runner: The Death Cure. The actor was involved in a serious collision with a vehicle while filming the Maze Runner sequel and is currently still recovering from his injuries while production on the film has been shut down for the time-being. But casting news now signals that the actor is going to be A-OK.
Per Deadline, the Teen Wolf actor is in talks to take on the lead role in Lionsgate and CBS Films’ Vince Flynn adaptation American Assassin. Should negotiations lead to a deal, O’Brien would play the role of Mitch Rapp, a counterterrorism operative for the CIA. The Jack Ryan-esque character has appeared in 14 novels thus far and a previous iteration of the film that never moved forward had Chris Hemsworth in the lead role, meaning American Assassin could be a serious franchise play for O’Brien.
The story of Assassin reveals Rapp’s early years as a student at Syracuse University. When his girlfriend is killed in an airplane bombing, he becomes a top recruit for the CIA’s black ops. Michael Keaton is already set to play Stan Hurley, a Cold War veteran and shadowy recruiter who shows O’Brien’s character the ropes before the two team up to thwart a terrorist attack in the Middle East.
This is great news not only because the Mitch Rapp character is fertile ground for a new action franchise, but because it signals that O’Brien is on the mend. Filming is set to get underway later this year with Homeland veteran and Kill the Messenger helmer Michael Cuesta directing a script by Stephen Schiff. Before that, O’Brien will return to finish work on the third Maze Runner movie, which is poised for release next year.
