Miami Vice '85: Walton Goggins as villain, release now aimed at May 2028
IGN, via Deadline, says Walton Goggins is being eyed for a villain role in Miami Vice '85, now targeting a May 2028 release.
- John Leguizamo is said to play the cartel boss and main antagonist, while Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler are mentioned as Ricardo Tubbs and Sonny Crockett.
- Joseph Kosinski’s film is now reportedly targeting a May 2028 release, after previously being slated for 2027.
What happened
IGN reports, based on Deadline, that Walton Goggins is being considered for a villain role in Miami Vice '85. In the same report, he is described as a henchman or hitman working for John Leguizamo’s character. That means Goggins is not being positioned as the main antagonist, but as an important part of the film’s villain side.
Leguizamo is said to play the cartel kingpin and central antagonist. That gives the project a clear crime setup, with a cartel structure driving the conflict. Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler are linked in the report to the roles of Ricardo Tubbs and Sonny Crockett, but in the provided text those casting details are not presented as officially confirmed by the studio. So these are roles circulating in reporting, not a formal cast list in the text itself.
Miami Vice '85 is described as a period reboot of the original TV series, not a sequel to Michael Mann’s 2006 film. Joseph Kosinski is attached as director. According to the reporting, the release has shifted from 2027 to May 2028, pushing the film further down the schedule while casting and the exact shape of the lead roles remain in flux.
The current picture is that several names are attached to the project, but the biggest details have not yet been fully locked in within the provided text. The reporting does point to a clear direction for the film, with an 1980s setting, a cartel antagonist, and a release window in May 2028.
Timeline
2026 — According to the reporting, filming on Miami Vice '85 is expected to begin in 2026, though no exact start date is given in the provided text.
2027 — The film was previously scheduled for a 2027 release before that plan changed.
2026-10-01 — IGN publishes the report linking Walton Goggins to a villain role in Miami Vice '85.
2026-10-01 — The same report names John Leguizamo, Michael B. Jordan, Austin Butler, and Joseph Kosinski as involved.
May 2028 — The release is now reportedly set for May 2028.
Background
Miami Vice began as a TV series and later received a film adaptation from Michael Mann. Miami Vice '85 is being framed in reporting as a period version that returns to the 1980s. That means the film is not being presented as a direct continuation of the earlier movie, but as a new take on the same brand and characters.
The current information is mainly about casting and scheduling. The reported roles for Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler, Walton Goggins’ part, and the move to May 2028 are all based on reporting for now, not on a full official cast or production announcement in the provided text. The villain lineup also remains dependent on the source report: Goggins is described as a henchman or hitman, while Leguizamo is framed as the cartel boss and main villain.
Joseph Kosinski is the director attached to the project in the reporting. That matters because it gives the film a clear creative lead, even as the production timeline continues to move. The shift from 2027 to May 2028 shows that the release calendar is still not final. The provided text also says filming should start in 2026, meaning casting and production planning are converging in the same period.
For now, the core of the news comes down to three concrete points: a possible villain role for Walton Goggins, a cartel-driven villain setup with John Leguizamo, and a new release target of May 2028. Until official confirmation arrives, the named roles and dates should be treated as reported information.