Brady Corbet has directed films like a man building cathedrals out of grief, ambition, and memory. With The Brutalist, he delivered a towering cinematic monolith that swept through awards season with ten Oscar nominations and secured another Academy Award triumph for Adrien Brody. Now Corbet is stepping into even stranger territory with a mysterious X-rated feature, and the latest name orbiting the project feels almost inevitable. Michael Fassbender, an actor whose career has thrived on emotional danger and psychological fracture.

Few actors move through prestige cinema with Fassbender’s volcanic restraint. Whether it was the hunger and physical torment of Hunger, the icy precision of Shame, or the existential exhaustion beneath the assassin’s professionalism in The Killer, Fassbender has always played men who seem moments away from combustion. 

According to Variety, Michael Fassbender is in negotiations to star in Brady Corbet’s next feature, rumored to be called The Origin of the World. Reports suggest the film stretches from the 19th century to the present day, though much of it is rooted in the cultural decay and upheaval of the 1970s. Corbet himself described it as “really, really genre-defying,” which sounds exactly like the kind of phrase filmmakers use before unveiling something audiences cannot easily categorize.

The project has also reportedly drawn the involvement of Selena Gomez, further deepening intrigue around a film that already sounds wildly unconventional. Behind the scenes, producers David Kaplan and Andrew Morrison are backing the feature under their Kaplan Morrison banner, continuing their history of prestige auteur-driven cinema. What makes the project even more fascinating is its technical ambition. Corbet reportedly plans to shoot the film using rare eight-perf 65mm cameras, a format associated with vast cinematic texture and staggering visual depth.

“You’re not paid to...”- Says Brady Corbet as the Reality Behind Award Season Raises Eyebrows

The update arrives while Fassbender is currently in Cannes Film Festival, where industry conversations around prestige cinema are already circling Corbet’s next move like moths around a projector beam.

Inspired by the acclaimed French series Le Bureau des Legendes, The Agency cast Michael Fassbender as Martian, a CIA operative dragged back into ordinary life after years undercover. Created by siblings Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth, the series premiered on Paramount+ and Showtime in late 2024 and quickly secured a renewal thanks to strong viewership and critical momentum. Alongside Fassbender, the ensemble includes Jodie Turner-Smith, Jeffrey Wright, and Richard Gere.

Recent industry updates suggest season two may premiere in early summer under its new title, The Agency: Central Intelligence. The next chapter expands the geopolitical stakes while continuing Martian’s emotional collapse after risking everything for a past love. New cast additions include Amir El-Masry, Clayne Crawford, Medalion Rahimi, Raza Jaffrey, and Tessa Ferrer. Behind the camera, the show continues to carry heavyweight pedigree, with George Clooney serving as executive producer and Joe Wright directing the opening episodes.

From psychologically fractured assassins to morally exhausted spies and now an enigmatic Corbet epic shot on rare 65mm film stock, Fassbender continues to choose projects that feel like controlled acts of cinematic obsession. 

‘The Brutalist’ Director Brady Corbet Slams Hollywood Double Standards as He Talks Dramas vs. Superhero Films

What do you think about Fassbender potentially joining Brady Corbet’s mysterious next film? Share your thoughts in the comments.