Per Deadline, Michael Ealy (Power Book II: Ghost) is set to join the cast of The Magnificent Seven TV series from Heroes creator Tim Kring, which is being developed for MGM+. The role Ealy will be stepping into is one very familiar to fans of the franchise.
Ealy will play Vin Tanner in The Magnificent Seven. The role was played by Steve McQueen in the original film, with Robert Fuller taking over the character in the first sequel.
The character description reads: “Understated, sharp-eyed, and drier than a drought, Vin (Ealy) spent his early adulthood as a Pullman Porter — smiling on cue while passengers snapped their fingers for whiskey. When a gang held up his train, Vin talked his way into allowing him to join their gang. What followed was the freest stretch of his life, a found family, rough and loyal. It didn’t last. Now he drifts — watching everything carefully, reading people and terrain with uncanny precision. Underneath the dry wit is a deep longing to believe in something principled. He just hasn’t found it yet.“
In addition to Ealy, the cast includes Matt Dillon (I Play Rocky) as Chris Adams, the character portrayed by Yul Brynner in the original, and Will Patton (Horizon: An American Saga) as a new character who seems to be the main villain.
Set in the tumultuous 1880s, The Magnificent Seven TV series follows “seven gifted but flawed mercenaries hired to protect a peaceful Quaker village after it is massacred by mercenaries working for a ruthless land baron trying to seize their land. As the team embeds itself and prepares to defend against overwhelming odds, they grapple with a central question: is violence acceptable to defend people whose faith is based on non-violence? The series explores the backstories of each of the Seven, what’s at stake for them, and why they choose this mission—delving into themes of honor, sacrifice, redemption, morality, and faith.“
The first movie was a Western remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. Brynner reprised the role of Chris in Return of the Seven, but was replaced by George Kennedy for Guns of the Magnificent Seven and by Lee Van Cleef in The Magnificent Seven Ride.
A TV series starring Michael Biehn aired from 1998 to 2000, and the most recent adaptation was the 2016 remake directed by Antoine Fuqua, which featured an all-star cast led by Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, and more.