You loved him as the main villain Ajax in Deadpool. Now, actor Ed Skrein is ready to return to the genre that made him semi-famous in producer James Cameron's long anticipated adaptation of Alita: Battle Angel. The movie will be directed by action legend Robert Rodriguez.

Alita: Battle Angel is a live-action adaptation of the iconic manga graphic novels. Ed Skrein will once again play the bad guy. He is in the process of closing his deal. He will join a cast that already includes actress Rosa Salazar in the lead role. Christoph Waltz and Jackie Earl Haley have also come aboard.

Battle Angel is being produced by Lightstorm Entertainment, with James Cameron and his longtime partner Jon Landau. The sci-fi adventure will be released by 20th Century Fox. The story is set in the 26th Century, and follows a female cyborg discovered in a scrap yard by a scientist.

Alita is highly trained in martial arts, but she has no memory of her past life. She soon becomes a bounty hunter. And she is tasked with tracking down super criminals intent on destroying the world. Ed Skrein will play a villainous cyborg in Alita: Battle Angel. He is in possession of a highly coveted weapon called the Damascus blade, which is being sought by quite a few individuals.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Alita: Battle Angel begins shooting in Austin, Texas this October. Last year, Ed Skrein played the title role in the reboot The Transporter Refueled. But it was in Deadpool where fans really sat up and took notice of his nasty ways. He is currently shooting the thriller In Darkness with Natalie Dormer and Emily Ratajkowski.