“Iron Man” lead actor Robert Downey Jr. is in preliminary talks to star in “Cowboys & Aliens” for DreamWorks and Universal, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Based on a graphic novel by Fred van Lente and Andrew Foley, the film focuses on former Union Army member Zeke Jackson, who’s involved in a battle between the Apache and Western settlers that is interrupted by the crash of a spaceship somewhere in Arizona.

Apparently, the project has been in development for quite a few years, primarily because of several rewrites of different drafts. The latest one, written by Hawk Ostby and Mark Fergus, seems to meet everyone’s expectations.   

Downey Jr. is currently onscreen in Marvel’s success action flick “Iron Man.” He will next be seen in Ben Stiller’s upcoming action comedy “Tropic Thunder,” followed by Joe Wright’s “The Soloist.”