Just weeks after Will Smith backed out of starring in Legendary and Universal's superhero thriller Brilliance, Oscar winner Jared Leto is in early talks to replace him.

If a deal is finalized, this will be Jared Leto's first major role since winning the Oscar for Best Supporting actor in Dallas Buyers Club. This adaptation of Marcus Sakey's novel is set in a world where a rare group of people known as "brilliants" are born with superhuman abilities. The plot follows a government agent who has incredible tracking skills, tasked with hunting a dangerous terrorist in Wyoming. He comes to learn that the evil man he is following has his own set of special skills, and that he is trying to create a civil war. Noomi Rapace is also attached to star, although no details have been released regarding her character.

Julius Onah (Undefeated) is directing from an adapted screenplay by David Koepp, with Joe Roth and Palak Patel producing with Legendary's Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni. No production schedule was given.

Jared Leto, who is notoriously selective about his roles, met director Julius Onah yesterday. Before Dallas Buyers Club, his last two films were Mr. Nobody, which made its festival debut in 2009 but wasn't released domestically until last year, and the 2008 thriller Chapter 27.