Joseph Gordon-Levitt Joins SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR in Lead Role; Won’t Be in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY [Updated]

The Joseph Gordon-Levitt news continues.  As the multitalented actor prepares to unveil his feature directorial debut Don Jon’s Addiction at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival, he’s been the focus of quite a few news stories over the past week.  We learned last Wednesday that Gordon-Levitt had been added to the list of contenders for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and earlier today it was reported that he passed on a role in Warner Bros.’ Godzilla reboot.  Now it appears that Gordon-Levitt has settled on his next project, as he has committed to a lead role in director Robert Rodriguez’s upcoming sequel Sin City: A Dame to Kill For after turning down the Guardians gig.  [Update: Gordon-Levitt released a statement to explain why he is drawn to the Sin City world: "I love how the first movie uses VFX, not to make fake things look real, but to create a heightened world unburdened by the look and feel of reality.  Plus, nobody makes a badass like Mr. Rodriguez."]

Hit the jump for more, including further details on the cast of Sin City 2.

Gordon-Levitt will play the role of Johnny in A Dame to Kill For, a cocky gambler who disguises a darker mission to destroy his most foul enemy at his best game.  The lead part was originally offered to Johnny Depp, and is one of the core characters of the film’s multiple intersecting storylines.  The pic also stars Sin City castmembers Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Jamie King, Rosario Dawson, and newcomers Jamie Chung and Dennis Haysbert.  Interestingly, Deadline’s report includes Clive Owen and Bruce Willis’ names in the returning cast list for A Dame to Kill For, so I’m unsure if this is a mistake or if the actors are indeed reprising their roles for the follow-up.  Owen’s Dwight character is a central focus of the Dame to Kill For story in Frank Miller’s graphic novel (albeit with a different face), so it would make sense for him to return in some capacity.

Filming on A Dame to Kill For began at the end of October, but since Rodriguez is shooting the film nearly entirely on green screen (as he did with Sin City), actors don’t necessarily have to be in the same room as each other in order to share a scene.  This is why the casting of the film’s lead two months after production began is possible, and Deadline notes that other “tough guy actors” will be added soon, with Josh Brolin among the potential names.

The report also has bad news for those that were hoping Gordon-Levitt might tackle a Marvel movie in the near future, as talks between the actor and Marvel for the lead role in Guardians of the Galaxy are apparently over.  The studio and director James Gunn are now evaluating their other candidates, which include Jim Sturgess and Zachary Levi.

Read the Sin City press release below:

New York, NY January 7, 2013 – Dimension Films announced today that Joseph Gordon-Levitt (LOOPER, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES) is joining the all-star cast as one of the lead characters in the highly anticipated SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR.  The film is the follow up to co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller’s 2005 visually groundbreaking film, FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY.  Other major casting announcements will continue to follow.

Gordon-Levitt will play “Johnny,” a cocky gambler who disguises a darker mission to destroy his most foul enemy at his best game.

“Johnny is a new character in the Sin City world and we are excited for what Joseph will bring to the role,” said Rodriguez and Miller.

Gordon-Levitt most recently wrote, directed and stars in DON JON’S ADDICTION which will premiere this month at Sundance and also stars Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore.

SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR weaves together two of Miller’s classic stories with new tales in which the town’s most hard boiled citizens cross paths with some of its more repulsive inhabitants.

The ensemble includes already announced original cast members Academy Award® nominee Mickey Rourke as “Marv,” Jessica Alba as “Nancy,” Rosario Dawson as “Gail,” and Jaime King as “Goldie/Wendy” with new cast members Dennis Haysbert as “Manute,” and Jamie Chung as “Miho”.  Production is underway at Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios in Austin, Texas.

The original SIN CITY broke new ground with its iconic stylish look.  SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR will not only bring fans back to the world that Miller and Rodriguez created, but also add a new dimension by bringing their unique visual style to life in 3D.

SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR was developed by Frank Miller based upon his graphic novel, with a screenplay by Miller and Academy Award® winner William Monahan (The Departed).

The film will be released by Dimension Films in the US and Canada on October 4, 2013 and is produced by Robert Rodriguez’s Quick Draw Productions, Aldamisa, AR Films, Miramax and Solipsist.