Ken Watanabe making his directorial debut with a World War II film?

How badass is Ken Watanabe? Even if you’ve never seen him in a film, just look at that stare of his… burrowing into your very soul. That’s how badass.

So if you’re a fan of the man (BATMAN BEGINS, THE LAST SAMURAI) – or just this picture to the right – you may be interested and excited to learn that the actor may be getting into the director’s chair to helm a World War II film entitled 442ND.

Film website Pajiba claims to have the inside skinny on the project, saying that Watanabe “is in early talks” to make his directorial debut.

“The independent project is one that would seem to suit the actor: It’s called 442nd, and it’s about the true story of an American-Japanese military unit assembled during World War II and sent on virtual suicide missions in the European theater. For their efforts against the Nazis, that unit go on to become the most decorated unit in American military history.”

Watanabe is no stranger to major military conflict on film; The man was the central star in Clint Eastwood’s LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA. Coincidentally, 442ND is being put together by Bill Gerber, the producer behind Eastwood’s GRAN TORINO.

Watanabe will next be seen in another great director’s film this summer: Chris Nolan’s INCEPTION. If this directing rumor proves to be true, we’ll at least know that the guy’s had some great mentoring these past few years.