Charlie Hunnam Not Returning for 'Pacific Rim 2'

On the list of things that Charlie Hunnam won't be doing in the near future, his not being part of a Sons of Anarchy spin off is arguably the most significant entry. Now, however, you can add another big one to the list: he also won't be appearing in the upcoming sequel to Pacific Rim.

Hunnam was the star of the 2013 sci-fi blockbuster about robot-riding soldiers who were charged with fighting off giant alien monsters in order to save the Earth. The big-budget film had a mediocre run in the United States, but it scored big internationally and set the stage for a sequel that's due out in February 2018.

Hunnam told both MTV and Yahoo last week that although his character was included in early versions of the sequel's script, he was eventually written out when it was clear that Hunnam's schedule wouldn't allow him to work on the project.

The sequel will star John Boyega of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens as the son of Stacker Pentecost, who was played by Idris Elba in the first film. It's not clear whether other original cast members, including Charlie Day and Ron Perlman, will be back for the sequel.