Jeremy Renner to play Undefeated boxer Rocky Marciano

By William Hughes  |  December 18, 2015 | 3:44am
Aux Features Jeremy Renner

Variety is reporting that Avengers and Mission Impossible star Jeremy Renner has been tapped to play former heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano in an upcoming biopic. Renner will be starring in Undefeated, from producer Morris Levy (Affluenza, The Ten) and screenwriters Samuel Franco and Evan Kilgore, which will hopefully be able to attract a director now that the third-billed guy in every action movie ever is finally on board.

The movie’s title refers to Marciano’s record in the ring; during his eight year career in professional boxing, Marciano won every single one of his bouts (usually by knockout), retiring in 1956 with 49 wins and numerous defenses of his title. And while Renner isn’t the world’s biggest guy—albeit one who’s in shape from all that archery and espionage and shouting into cellphones—neither was Marciano, who only weighed 190 pounds, and stood barely taller than Renner’s own 5’10”. (Also, Renner’s face always kind of looks like it’s been recently punched, which has to be a net positive for a movie about boxing.)

 
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