It seems that director Jon Favreau and actor Robert Downey Jr. are delving deeper into the comic book world. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Favreau and Downey Jr. are signed on for Cowboys & Aliens.

Downey Jr. had been attached to the film for over a year, with a script by Iron Man writers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, who are also executive producers on the film took over the scripting shortly thereafter with Lost executive producer Damon Lindelof, and Favreau has now signed on to direct.

The film will be based off the Platinum Comics graphic novel by Fred Van Lente and Andrew Foley. The sci-fi Western novel explores the standard Western drama of cowboys vs. indians, but takes it further with aliens attacking the 1800s landscape.

It was said that the film would likely be eyeing up a 2011 summer tentpole release.

Cowboys & Aliens was released July 29th, 2011 and stars Daniel Craig, Abigail Spencer, Buck Taylor, Matthew Taylor, Cooper Taylor, Clancy Brown, Paul Dano, Chris Browning. The film is directed by Jon Favreau.