Fans of the Uncharted series rejoiced when word of a film adaptation started its long journey to find its way to the big screen. Unfortunately, that announcement came several years ago, with no real word on when to expect even a sliver of a trailer to quench our thirst for news. After months and months of uncertainty, director Shawn Levy has finally announced that the film is ready to begin production… and that production will no longer include Mark Wahlberg as the adventuring hero, Nathan Drake.

After a series of changes throughout the production process, the Uncharted film has already seen the likes of three different potential directors (Neil Berger, David O’Russell, and Seth Gordon) before finally settling on Shawn Levy to helm the project. From the beginning, it had been rumored that Wahlberg would play the hero of the film, but during a recent interview with We Got This Covered, Mr. Wahlberg made it clear that he was no longer tied to the project.  Check out the video below to hear the confirmation for yourself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrzAmmdMnmQ

Despite the fact that Mark Wahlberg will no longer be swashbuckling his way through a film-adventure for eager fans, there’s still reason to be excited for this production. Levy has anticipated the film to start filming before March of 2017, which is a pretty quick turn around since his official announcement as director. Levy also spoke, in an interview with Collider, that he’s definitely excited to bring this already vividly cinematic title to life:

I’ve been interested in this project for years. I’ve played and loved every iteration of the game. I think it’s largely a popularly accepted notion that it’s as cinematic a game as we’ve had, maybe ever, certainly of late. And it’s cinematic in that it’s not only wildly visual, but it’s really rooted in character and a very specific tone and a sense of fun, right? When is the last great, fun, fucking action-dynamic, treasure-hunting movie? Right? It’s not Indiana Jones, it’s not National Treasure; it’s very specific, it’s all kind of anchored in Nathan’s tone. ~Shawn Levy

Although we won’t be seeing Wahlberg kicking ass as Nathan Drake, Levy reassures that he will still make this film the high-flying adventure that is deserved for such a popular game title. With such a passion for the games, we can rest easy that Levy will do this long-awaited film justice.

What do you think of the announcement that he will no longer be playing Nathan Drake? Who do you think will be portraying the titular star of this upcoming adventure flick? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!