The upcoming MGM Robocop remake already gained a powerful asset with the recent addition of Gary Oldman to the cast. Now it seems star Samuel L. Jackson will bolster the supporting cast even further.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jackson is onboard to play Pat Novak, an influential television magnate. It's unclear at this point whether Novak will function as an antagonist to the titular cyborg crime fighter or serve some other purpose, perhaps even as an ally.

One possibility is that Jackson's character will fill the role of an amoral corporate bigwig, as Omni Consumer Products Vice President Richard "Dick" Jones (Ronny Cox) did in the original. If this new version stays relatively faithful to the spirit of the classic, an unscrupulous, monolithic corporation is a key component to the plot. Could Novak's media empire factor into the story in the same way Omni Consumer Products did in the original?

Ronny Cox Dick Jones Robocop

The remake is expected to retain much of the social commentary of the original (only tailored for the 21st century audience), since issues such as corporate greed and urban decay are just as relevant today as in 1987 -- if not more so. There's even a strong possibility that Jackson's character could represent a composite of various controversial media tycoons such as News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch, not unlike the Bond villain from Tomorrow Never Dies.

Jackson has a lot on his plate at the moment, having just acted in Quentin Tarantino's much-anticipated revenge western, Django Unchained, and no doubt planning to reprise his role as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury after the success of The Avengers.

Brazilian filmmaker Jose Padilha (The Elite Squad) is set to direct Robocop, while Joel Kinnaman (The Killing) will star as the murdered-policeman-turned-cyborg. Gary Oldman recently signed on for the role of Robocop's creator.

Robocop is expected to hit theaters sometime summer 2013.

Source: THR