Natalie Portman and director Lynne Ramsay have managed to wrangle the elements (and funding) together successfully so far for Western vengeance drama Jane Got A Gun, including locking down Michael Fassbender. Well, one buzz worthy leading man was clearly not enough for the pair, who have now set their sights on Joel Edgerton.

The actor, who will be seen hunting Osama Bin Laden in Zero Dark Thirty this January, is now in talks to snag one of the other lead roles in the film.

Jane, written by Brian Duffield, is built around Jane Hammond (Portman), whose outlaw husband is betrayed by his own gang. With him badly hurt (bullets will do that, y’all), she reaches out to a former lover, Dan Frost (Fassbender) to help strike back against the criminals who are coming in to finish the job.

Edgerton will be channelling his darker side to play John Bishop, the leader of the gang looking to kill Portman’s hubby. Ramsay should be cranking the cameras early next year.

2013 is shaping up to be a solid year for Edgerton. As well as Zero Dark Thirty, he has both Felony and The Great Gatsby due out.