Um, say what? The male lead on the new Stargate show, Universe is a doctor name David Rush? Strange, I didn’t read about any David Rush on the recent Stargate Universe character casting sheet that went out a while back. But apparently it has to be true, because this news comes from trade paper The Hollywood Reporter, and why would they say he’s the male lead if he wasn’t? If true, this will probably be the first Stargate show where the male lead didn’t pack a P90.

More about the show and character from THR:

Described as edgier, darker and younger-skewing than its predecessors, “SGU” follows a group of soldiers, scientists and civilians left to fend for themselves when forced through a Stargate after their hidden base comes under attack. The survivors, who emerge aboard an ancient ship missing in the far reaches of space, are led by Dr. David Rush (Carlyle), who works to unlock the ship’s mysteries and return the group home but also might have ulterior motives.

Of course THR could have gotten their facts wrong, and Carlyle’s Doctor Rush could be a supporting male character, similar to Rodney McKay on Atlantis or Daniel Jackson on SG1. According to the character sheet mentioned above, the male lead was supposed to be a military man name “Colonel Everett Young”.

Here’s more from Entertainment Weekly. Notice they don’t actually say outright that Carlyle is the male lead on the show:

“We are very excited about having an actor of this caliber, around which we can build a strong, character-based series,” said series creators Brad Wright and Robert Cooper in an exclusive statement. “Robert Carlyle will engage a broad audience and we hope to deliver a show that demonstrates to new viewers that the loyalty of longtime fans of the Stargate franchise has been well-deserved.”

Another reason why I don’t think Carlyle is the male lead on Universe? He’s too short. All of the male leads on the Stargate shows have been tall guys. Mind you, I’m not saying they were giants, but RDA was 6′1″ and Joe Flanigan is 6′. Robert Carlyle, meanwhile, is listed as 5′8″, but I’ve seen a lot of his movies, and I think that’s a tad generous. Anyways, that’s what I think. A supporting character like Rodney McKay or Daniel Jackson, but definitely not the male lead.

Stargate: Universe is scheduled to begin production in February of 2009. It already has a 20-episode commitment for its first season (the two-hour premiere of which will air Summer 2009) from The Sci Fi Channel.

Below: Robert Carlyle running from zombies in “28 Weeks Later”. Really? This guy is Universe’s heroic male lead? I don’t buy it.