Blade Runner 2049 might be getting an extra shot of star power with the casting of Jared Leto, but he wasn't always intended for the role.

Denis Villeneuve, who's directed the sequel to the 1982 Harrison Ford classic from Ridley Scott, has revealed that the team had originally wanted the late David Bowie to take on Leto's role of Neander Wallace.

"Our first thought [for the character] had been David Bowie, who had influenced Blade Runner in many ways," he said (via Metro).

Of course, following the news of Bowie's death from cancer last January, Villeneuve added that they wanted to find someone who embodied a lot of Bowie's rock star qualities.

Related: Blade Runner 2049 – Everything you need to know

"When we learned the sad news, we looked around for someone like that," he added.

Being compared to David Bowie is a pretty big compliment, so if we were Leto we'd be flattered.

It was announced that Leto, who has starred in DC's Suicide Squad as the Joker, had been cast in Blade Runner 2049 as a villainous replicant manufacturer last August, and the latest trailer revealed his character in all his creepy glory.

He joins original blade runner Harrison Ford, who reprises his role as Deckard, as well as new addition to the cast Ryan Gosling, who plays Officer K in a part that Villeneuve says was "written for Ryan right from the start".

Sony Pictures

Leto's character will be on the hunt to track down Deckard after years of hiding, but the filmmakers have promised fans that the sequel won't be a remake of the original.

And even Harrison Ford himself sounds excited to revisit the old character adding that he returned to the franchise because there's a "very strong emotional context" for his character's return.

"The relationship between the character Deckard – that I play – and other characters is fascinating," he said. "I think it's interesting to develop a character after a period of time, to revisit a character."

Blade Runner 2049 hits cinemas on October 7.

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