After leading an expedition to Mars, Taylor Kitsch looks like he'll be returning to Earth for a much more grounded action-driven affair.

TheWrap reports Kitsch, the man who starred in the ill-fated John Carter and, more recently, Lone Survivor and The Normal Heart, is the frontrunner for the lead role in The Raid, Screen Gems and director Patrick Hughes' remake of the Indonesian martial arts film.

Kitsch reportedly has an offer to star, but TheWrap cautions that "the two sides remain apart on financial terms."

Complicating matters is the rumor that Kitsch is in the mix for the second season of True Detective, the HBO anthology series currently vying for a slew of Emmy Awards. If cast as one of the new True Detective leads, would Kitsch have the necessary time to devote to a movie like The Raid, which presumably requires some serious physical training from its actors?

Directed by Gareth Evans. original film follows an elite task force that infiltrates a tenement building to take down a drug lord. When the cops are spotted, the drug lord offers all the tenants in his building permanent residence if they eliminate all of the invading police officers. Absolute mayhem ensues.

It sounds as if Kitsch is up for the Rama role, originated by Iko Uwais; he's an angst-driven martial arts expert who invades the tenement for personal reasons. Until recently, it was believed that Frank Grillo was in line to play The Raid lead; the Captain America actor previously confirmed his involvement in the remake. If Kitsch is in the mix for the lead, there are still plenty of roles suitable for Grillo, including Jaka, the sergeant who heads up the task force.

Production on The Raid remake is expected to get under way in early 2015.