Lee Pace, known for his role as the villain Ronan in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy, is stepping back into a villainous role.

The actor has finalized a deal to join Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, and Katy O’Brien in The Running Man, Paramount’s adaptation of the Stephen King novel. Edgar Wright is directing the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Bacall. Filming is set to begin in London early next year.

King's The Running Man, published in 1982 under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, is set in a dystopian 2025 America where a totalitarian regime uses violent game shows to control the disgruntled population.

The story follows a desperate man who joins the nation’s most popular show, The Running Man, to earn money for his sick daughter. Contestants are hunted by teams of killers, with their earnings increasing the longer they survive. However, the protagonist is determined to break the rules and reveal the dark truths behind the show.

Powell will portray the desperate man, Brolin will take on the role of the ruthless game show producer, and O’Brien will play one of the contestants.

Pace will serve as the film's main antagonist, playing the brutal chief hunter for the network responsible for the game shows, tasked with capturing Powell’s character.

Paramount plans to release the film on November 21, 2025. Simon Kinberg, Nira Park, and Wright are producing the project.

Pace previously portrayed the colorful villain Ronan the Accuser in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and reprised the role in Captain Marvel (2019). He also starred in AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire and recently appeared in Apple TV’s ambitious sci-fi series Foundation, which is entering its third season