AceShowbiz -

Tom Cruise could star in the movie version of "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." that follows the spy adventures of American agent Napoleon Solo and Soviet agent Illya Kuryakin during the Cold War. The "Top Gun" actor is reportedly in early talks to portray one of the male leads in a long-gestating remake of the classic 1960s TV series.

Before Cruise's name was mentioned, George Clooney was approached by Steven Soderbergh's team to take on the role. When the "Ocean's Eleven" actor turned it down, they considered to cast such hunks as Channing Tatum, Bradley Cooper, Ryan Gosling, Joel Kinnaman and Michael Fassbender.

By the end of 2011 when Guy Ritchie and his producing partner Lionel Wigram were on broad, they still struggled to find their Solo and Kuryakin. Ben Affleck was linked to the film, along with Matt Damon, late last year amidst his big success with "Argo", but still no cast was announced until casting rumor listing Cruise as a candidate.

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Ritchie will drop the project if negotiation with Cruise doesn't work well.

Famous for his leading role in "Mission Impossible" film franchise, Cruise starred in two movies in 2012 as a famous rocker Stacee Jaxx in a new take on "Rock of Ages" and as a drifter and former U.S. military member Jack Reacher in the movie of the same name. He has just finished filming "All You Need Is Kill" and will have his next movie "Oblivion" coming out later this year.