David Harbour Exits New Tony Gilroy Movie Starring Pedro Pascal

Fans looking forward to seeing Stranger Things star David Harbour team up with The Last of Us icon Pedro Pascal will have to wait a little longer. In a sudden shake-up to the cast of the highly anticipated drama Behemoth!, Harbour has officially dropped out of the project. The film, which is being produced by Searchlight Pictures, was set to feature Harbour in a leading role alongside Pascal and Olivia Wilde. However, just weeks before production was fully underway, the actor made the difficult decision to step away from the set.

The departure was confirmed by representatives for the studio, though they initially remained tight-lipped about the specifics. According to reports circulating in Hollywood, the decision was not due to “creative differences”—the standard euphemism often used when actors leave projects—but rather a matter of personal well-being and scheduling. Sources close to the production have indicated that Harbour felt “overwhelmed” following the massive global rollout of the final season of Stranger Things.

The fifth and final season of the Netflix juggernaut, which concluded its run in late 2025, required an extensive and exhausting promotional tour. Harbour, who has played the beloved police chief Jim Hopper for a decade, was front and center for the worldwide press junket. Between the emotional weight of saying goodbye to the character that defined his career and the physical demands of the travel schedule, the actor reportedly realized he needed time to decompress rather than jumping immediately into another high-stakes drama.

Stepping into Harbour’s shoes will be Will Arnett, a casting choice that has already sparked intrigue given Arnett’s background primarily in comedy, though he has taken on more dramatic work in recent years. The film is written and directed by Tony Gilroy, the acclaimed filmmaker behind Michael Clayton and the Star Wars spy thriller series Andor. While it is disappointing to lose the dynamic between Harbour and Pascal, the project remains on track with its star-studded ensemble.

David Harbour has experienced a meteoric rise over the last decade, largely thanks to his portrayal of Jim Hopper in Netflix’s Stranger Things. Before donning the beige police uniform, Harbour was a respected character actor known for roles in films like Revolutionary Road and Quantum of Solace, as well as a stint on Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom. However, it was the Duffer Brothers’ 80s-nostalgia sci-fi series that made him a household name. His character’s arc—from a cynical, pill-popping sheriff to a heroic father figure—earned him critical acclaim and two Emmy nominations.

Beyond television, Harbour has successfully transitioned into blockbuster cinema. He joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as Alexei Shostakov, also known as the Red Guardian, in the film Black Widow. His portrayal of the washed-up Soviet super-soldier provided comic relief and heart, leading to his reprisal of the role in the ensemble anti-hero film Thunderbolts. He also surprised audiences with the holiday action-comedy Violent Night, where he played a gritty, hammer-wielding Santa Claus, a role he is expected to revisit in an upcoming sequel.

Starring opposite the replacement Will Arnett in Behemoth! is Pedro Pascal, an actor who has arguably had one of the best runs in television history. Pascal first captured global attention as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones, a role that was short-lived but unforgettable. He solidified his status as a leading man with the title role in The Mandalorian, the flagship series for Disney+, where he played a masked bounty hunter protecting a small alien creature.

Pascal’s career reached new heights with HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us. Playing Joel Miller, a hardened survivor smuggling a teenage girl across a post-apocalyptic America, Pascal earned widespread praise for his emotional range and chemistry with co-star Bella Ramsey. His upcoming slate is incredibly busy; aside from Behemoth!, he is set to portray Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) in Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, effectively making him a key player in the next saga of the MCU. He also recently starred in Ridley Scott’s massive historical epic Gladiator II.

The film that Harbour has just exited is shaping up to be a unique entry in Tony Gilroy’s filmography. While Gilroy is often associated with tense political thrillers and spy dramas—having written the Bourne films and directed Andor—Behemoth! appears to be a pivot toward character-driven drama. The official logline describes the movie as centering on “a musician from a family of musicians who returns to Los Angeles,” serving as a “love letter to the music of the movies and the people who make it.”

This description suggests a more intimate story than Gilroy’s usual high-stakes fare. With Searchlight Pictures backing the project, it is likely aiming for prestige status and awards season consideration. The combination of a musical backdrop and a cast that includes Pascal, Wilde, and now Arnett, suggests a complex narrative about artistic legacy and family dynamics in the heart of Hollywood.

Harbour’s decision to prioritize his mental and physical health highlights a growing conversation in the entertainment industry about burnout. The demands of “press tours”—which can involve weeks of traveling to different continents, hundreds of interviews, and constant public appearances—are often grueling. For the cast of a show as massive as Stranger Things, the pressure is exponentially higher.

By stepping away to recharge, Harbour ensures that his future performances remain high-caliber. Fans can still look forward to seeing him in the MCU and other announced projects once he has recovered from the decade-long journey of filming and promoting one of the biggest TV shows in history.

We’d love to hear what you think about this casting shake-up and whether Will Arnett is the right choice to replace David Harbour—let us know your opinion in the comments.