Michael Peña Will Probably Also Be In Ridley Scott's 'The Martian'

Some very interesting talents have been circling Ridley Scott's The Martian in recent weeks, and now another has joined the orbit. Michael Peña is in talks to board the sci-fi actioner, joining Matt Damon. Hit the jump for more details on the Michael Pena The Martian casting.

Damon has been attached to play the lead role in The Martian since spring, but casting really started heating up this fall. Chastain is still in talks, and Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, and Mackenzie Davis have been linked to the movie as well.

The Martian is based on novel, originally an e-book, by Andy Weir, which follows an astronaut who struggles to survive after his crew accidentally abandons him on Mars. Unlike the similar-sounding Gravity, though, The Martian is not a one-man show. Crew members and NASA employees also figure into the story, and there are some flashbacks to fill out as well.The Martian will land November 25, 2015. Here's a summary of the book:

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?