What's Inside?
- Julia Roberts’ character passes a comic shop featuring Sgt. Rock, teasing Guadagnino’s scrapped DC movie in a clever cinematic nod.
- Sgt. Rock film planned with Daniel Craig, Justin Kuritzkes, and Guadagnino, but canceled due to script and production issues.
- After the Hunt mixes cultural critique with hidden DC references, blending post-#MeToo themes and subtle comic book Easter eggs.
Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt has finally arrived in theaters, marking the latest chapter in the acclaimed director’s cinematic journey. Starring Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, Ayo Edebiri, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Chloë Sevigny, the film dives into the complexities of cancel culture in a post-#MeToo world. While initial buzz hinted at awards season potential, the mixed reviews following its premiere at the 82nd Venice Film Festival suggest the movie may not capture the same acclaim as Guadagnino’s 2024 films, Challengers and Queer. Yet amid philosophical debates and Ivy League settings, the film sneaks in a surprising nod to a scrapped DC Universe project.
Why ‘Sgt. Rock’ Appears in After the Hunt
One of the most intriguing moments in After the Hunt occurs as Julia Roberts’ character exits a liquor store. A comic book shop features a poster of the DC World War II hero Sgt. Rock, specifically referencing Sgt. Rock vs. Army of the Dead. While the comic was not published until 2022—years after the film’s 2019 setting—its inclusion is more than a simple anachronism. It’s a subtle hint at Guadagnino’s brief, yet highly anticipated involvement with a planned Sgt. Rock feature film.
The tradition of filmmakers hiding future projects in plain sight is not new. Christopher Nolan included a Batman symbol in his debut film, Following, years before directing Batman Begins. Chloé Zhao referenced the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Nomadland before directing Eternals. In After the Hunt, Guadagnino follows this playful tradition, giving audiences a bittersweet glimpse of a movie that almost was. The Sgt. Rock reference also echoes an earlier attempt to bring the character to the big screen when producer Joel Silver included the comics in 1987’s Predator, spending nearly a decade trying to launch a standalone film.
Guadagnino’s involvement in a Sgt. Rock film was confirmed in November 2024, surprising fans who might not have expected the director of Call Me By Your Name to helm a DC Studios blockbuster. Filming for After the Hunt spanned from July to August 2024, suggesting early discussions with James Gunn and Peter Safran about the DC project. While it remains unclear whether the studio approached Guadagnino or vice versa, the poster’s presence in the film makes one thing clear: Sgt. Rock was on his mind.
Next to the Sgt. Rock poster is Frank Miller’s Superman: Year One, reinforcing the 2019 timeline while subtly connecting to James Gunn’s then-upcoming Superman. Guadagnino’s use of posters and imagery—featuring controversial male figures like Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry, Morrissey, or Andrew Jackson—ties into the film’s themes of cultural reckoning and societal scrutiny.
Why the Sgt. Rock Film Was Canceled
For the first half of 2025, rumors suggested Daniel Craig, Jeremy Allen White, and Colin Farrell were contenders for Sgt. Rock, with Mikey Madison considered for Mademoiselle Marie. Guadagnino’s trusted collaborators from Challengers and Queer, including screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes, cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, and costume designer Jonathan Anderson, were attached. The movie was on track to shoot in summer 2025 and possibly release by May 2026.
However, on April 30, 2025, DC Studios pulled the plug. Reports indicate that rushed production schedules, winter weather in the U.K., and a script that did not meet James Gunn’s standards led to the cancellation. Gunn told NPR, “I just stopped – you know, we had a screenplay that – you know, a movie that was greenlit. We got second draft and third draft, and it just wasn’t changing. It wasn’t getting better. It was staying in the same place. And I said, we can’t make this film. We can’t. It’s not good. We know it’s not good.”
By July 2025, it was confirmed that Sgt. Rock would continue without Guadagnino. The director has since shifted focus to new projects, including Artificial about OpenAI founder Sam Altman and a remake of American Psycho. The Sgt. Rock poster in After the Hunt now stands as a nostalgic nod to what could have been—a moment when a visionary director nearly brought a DC hero to life.
After the Hunt is currently playing in theaters, giving audiences both a compelling look at modern culture and a hidden tribute to a canceled DCU dream.
