John Boyega Lands Lead Role In Steven S. DeKnight’s Pacific Rim 2

John Boyega has an apocalypse to cancel.

According to Deadline, the actor – best known for breakout roles across Attack the Block and last year’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens – has now landed the lead role in Pacific Rim 2, the long-gestating sequel set to be directed by Steven S. DeKnight of Daredevil fame.

There, he’ll play son to Idris Elba’s glowering Stacker Pentecost, indicating that Legendary’s blockbuster – rumored to be titled Maelstrom – will march on without Sons of Anarchy‘s Charlie Hunnam at the core. That opens up the fray for Boyega to assume leading man duties, and Deadline relayed an official statement from Guillermo del Toro welcoming the news.

Shifting from director to executive producer in time for Pacific Rim 2, here’s what the celebrated Mexican filmmaker had to share on Boyega’s casting: “I am very proud and happy to welcome John into a fantastic sandbox. The Pacific Rim universe will be reinforced with him as a leading man as it continues to be a multicultural, multi-layered world. ‘The World saving the world’ was our goal and I couldn’t think of a better man for the job.”

Del Toro headlines a team of producers that comprises Thomas Tull, Mary Parent and Jon Jashni. Derek Connolly, meanwhile, is on board to pen the screenplay, and he definitely knows a thing or two about towering monsters after working opposite Colin Trevorrow on Universal’s Jurassic World.

Emerging from a long and storied development, Pacific Rim 2 is currently pegged to arrive on December 31, 2018. As for John Boyega, the actor will soon be reprising his role as Finn (AKA FN-2187) when Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: Episode VIII blasts into theaters on December 15, 2017.