It was not that long ago when it was being reported that Star Wars: The Force Awakens actress Daisy Ridley was being courted to play the lead role of Lara Croft in the new Tomb Raider reboot. The idea sounded good on paper, as she has proven herself to be able to carry the weight of an iconic franchise on her shoulders, but seeing as her schedule would keep her from starring in another franchise, it would have been impossible to cast her in the new reboot.

Well, it didn’t take long for Warner Bros. to settle on a different actress and one that has appeared in a couple of their films. New reports confirm that Alicia Vikander has been named as the new Lara Croft. More on the story below.

Vikander is best known for her scene-stealing role in Ex Machina, her award-winning role in The Danish Girl, and the underseen The Man From U.N.C.L.E.. Upcoming roles include Tulip Fever, Jason Bourne, and The Light Between Oceans. Given the variety of roles she has played, she has done more than enough to prove herself to be a very versatile actress.

Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter was the first to confirm the news on his Twitter account. He also says that Ridley was never really in contention for the role. Given how she is tied up doing Star Wars, that doesn’t come as a complete surprise. The writer also reveals that Cara Delevigne, who will appear in Suicide Squad later this summer, was a frontrunner.

Justin Kroll of Variety says Vikander was actually a frontrunner long before the Ridley rumor sprung onto the internet. He adds that following her big win at the Oscars, she easily became the top choice for the lead role.

Deadline says other contenders included Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones, Terminator: Genisys) and Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn, Hanna).

Roar Uthuag (The Wave) will direct the latest adaptation of the popular video game series of the same name. Much like the video game reboot, the film will revisit the early years of the adventures of Lara Croft. The script has been written by Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Evan Daugherty.

Warner Bros. has yet to announce a release date for the new reboot, and we will keep you posted on that and any other news about the film should any developments come in.

[Source: THR | Variety | Deadline]