Impossible as it is to believe, Steven Soderbergh looks to be having some trouble getting actors in place for The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Following George Clooney‘s exit, Warner Bros. has been seeking a lead to replace him as spy Napoleon Solo, and Bradley Cooper recently emerged as the favorite to grab the part. He makes sense, too, with his charismatic demeanor and good looks making him an at least semi-believable secret agent.

TheWrap now reports that the actor won’t be taking the role, however, as he’s recently abandoned talks — for undisclosed reasons, of course. But let’s not speculate; if there’s any particular motivation behind this choice, I’m guessing that his busy schedule simply made it difficult for him to fit in the feature. Very few actors in Hollywood would turn down the chance to work with Soderbergh if they weren’t busy, judging by the massive amount of names he’s directed in the past decade.

The project should be okay, though. Joel Edgerton is reportedly getting into negotiations about playing another spy in the TV adaptation, Illya Kuryakin, and he’s a talent, which means at least one part of the casting isn’t a total headache. And there are still several actors being considered for the Solo role, most notably Michael Fassbender. To find a (no pun intended) silver lining — while I do like Cooper, I’d take the Shame star over him any day.

A small tidbit regarding another actor turning down a prolific director has come to light, and it isn’t one I would’ve expected. In an interview with MTV, Jonah Hill revealed that he couldn’t act for Quentin Tarantino in Django Unchained, since his “schedule didn’t work out.” It wouldn’t be so out there to assume that he would play one of the various slave masters (or their assistants), a part that could’ve been an interesting diversion for him. And, not to criticize Hill‘s choice, but it’s strange that he can sign on for something like, say, The Sitter, but Tarantino can’t be accommodated for. I don’t doubt his explanation behind the decision for a second, but… still.

Some people who weren’t forced to pass on Django, including Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Kerry Washington, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. They’ll be seen in the film when it opens on December 25th, 2012.

Would you have liked to see Cooper in U.N.C.L.E.? Is it disappointing to know that Jonah Hill was almost a part of Django?