Sacha Baron Cohen is reportedly in talks to play Mandrake the Magician in a new superhero blockbuster.
The 44-year-old actor has been approached by bosses to take on the iconic comic role in the untitled flick, although no deals have struck, according to The Tracking Board.
Etan Cohen, who penned ‘Tropic Thunder’ and made his directorial debut with ‘Get Hard’ last year, is believed to be on board to direct the project but Warner Bros. are a little behind as they are still on the hunt for someone to write the script.
Mandrake – a stage magician who battles gangsters and mad scientists – was originally created by Lee Falk for his popular comic strip in 1934 and, although the character has featured in a number of TV series, it hasn’t been as successful on the film front since he graced screens in 1939.
Meanwhile, Baron has had a busy few months this year as his first movie of 2016 ‘The Brothers Grimsby’ turned out to be a flop, while he’s hoping to impress fans with his current release Disney’s ‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’.
He’s also set to write and direct the reboot of ‘Cannonball Run’ for Warners later this year.