After breaking up with Warner Bros., writer/director Christopher Nolan’s next film, Oppenheimer became a hot ticket to whomever could land it. That statement applies on several levels, as Universal Pictures secured the film for release, and the cast is already boasting Cillian Murphy in the lead role, and Emily Blunt in an unspecified part. However, with Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr. now in talks for their own mystery spots on the roster, two of Hollywood’s biggest stars could make this movie even more of a must see.
Early word has come that Oppenheimer’s cast list might be making these two major additions, should negotiations pan out. Deadline broke the story, with no specifics listed as to whom Downey or Damon could be playing; as those details are, predictably, “under wraps.” But naturally with names like theirs in the mix, just their interest in the project is enough to get everyone talking.
For Matt Damon, this Oppenheimer casting is a bit of a reunion. Previously, the actor played a crucial supporting role in Interstellar, which saw Damon butting heads in space with Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway. His interest in reuniting with Christopher Nolan might see him becoming a new member of the director’s repertory company of actors that love to work with him on a recurring basis.
Meanwhile, Robert Downey Jr. is making his first trip into Nolan Country with Oppenheimer, which works on two different levels. On one hand, Downey’s A-list presence is something that Christopher Nolan never passes up a chance to indulge in. But on the other hand, much like Matthew Modine, Tom Beringer, and Anthony Michael Hall before him, Robert Downey Jr. is also another notch on Nolan’s ‘80s all-stars roster that can finally be filled.
Already, Oppenheimer is building an amazing bench of talent, and knowing Christopher Nolan, there’s probably more surprises in the works. With the project set to start filming in early 2022, and the story of a key participant in the invention of the atomic bomb bound to be full of characters waiting for creative casting, this could be the tip of the iceberg. And that’s saying something after being introduced to the notion that Robert Downey Jr. and Matt Damon could be joining Oppenheimer in the near future.
Audiences will have to wait for some time to see Oppenheimer, as it’s set for release on July 21, 2023. So if you want to come back down to Earth with something a little more recent, 2021’s movies are waiting to be discovered in the last place that you left them. Though there’s also a 2022 release schedule available, in case you want to peek a little further into the foreseeable future.