Shia LaBeouf is Not ‘Y: The Last Man’

Published by Jeff Leins on June 9, 2009

Shia LaBeouf is no longer interested in playing the lead in an adaptation of Brian K. Vaughan’s graphic novel Y: The Last Man.  The 22-year-old actor was rumored for the role of Yorick, the only male survivor of a plague that kills every mammal with a Y chromosome.  It would have been LaBeouf’s third time to work with the film’s attached director, D.J. Caruso (Disturbia, Eagle Eye).

LaBeouf told Wizard Magazine the role is too similar to his Transformers persona, Sam Witwicky.  “You take Sam and you put a monkey on his shoulder,” he said of Yorick’s Capuchin sidekick Ampersand. “I don’t know if it’s that big a differential. It seems like he’s the ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation again.  I’m not willing to make that movie currently, and may be too old to play the role by the time it does come around.”

I know he’s new to the business and all, but “an ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation” describes a whole lot of Hollywood movies, including many of LaBeouf’s.  Maybe he doesn’t want to continue being typecast, but being attached to a beloved adaptation and potentially another trilogy should be a good thing for a young actor still proving himself to film fans.  Besides, Yorick would allow him to show much more actual ability than constantly running from giant fighting robots.  Other than his name being fun to say, LaBeouf still has a ways to go to earn the respect of some of his slightly older colleagues taking more significant roles.  I’m interested to see what he picks up instead.

As for Caruso, he was originally supposed to start production on this last summer.  No word on where the revised script process is or whether Caruso has shelved this to focus on Jack the Giant Killer instead.  Judging from LaBeouf’s departure, Y: The Last Man may have to wait.