Earlier this year, the world tragically lost Michael Clarke Duncan at the young age of 54. Before he passed, things were lining up for him to return to Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez’s upcoming film ‘Sin City: A Dame to Kill For’. Now that he’s unfortunately left this world, the show must go on, so Dennis Haysbert has been hired to fill his role in the film.

Best known as President David Palmer from the acclaimed series ‘24’ and as the spokesperson for Allstate Insurance, Haysbert will be taking over for Duncan as Manute, the muscle-bound henchmen of Ava Lord. In a recent interview with SuperheroHype, the actor spoke about his approach to the character and how much Duncan’s performance in the original ‘Sin City’ film will affect his own:

“I haven’t finished working out to the capacity that I need to, but he’s going to be different. This is playing as a prequel, so it should work out. It’s going to be my character but I’ve spoken extensively with Frank Miller and Robert (Rodriguez) about what they want with the character and yes, it has to have some feel of what Michael did but I have to make it my own.”

When asked about what it’s been like to work with the writing and directing duo of Miller and Rodriguez so far, he said:

“Robert sets up the camera and he does a lot of the hands-on directing but Frank is very astute and very good at watching from a distance and just coming in and popping in a few things in your ear that really solidifies it. Because he comes from that comic book approach and everything is storyboarded so you have a clear idea as to what you want to do and what he wants. It’s a very cool process.”

Haysbert joins returning cast members Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Jamie King, and Jamie Chung as they re-enter the world of Frank Miller’s acclaimed comic book series and the 2005 film in a story that takes place parallel to the original, overlapping ‘The Hard Goodbye’ and before ‘The Big Fat Kill’, which would explain why Rourke’s Marv will be returning.

‘Sin City: A Dame to Kill For’ is scheduled for an October 4, 2013 release.