Netflix appears to be nearing the end of its own Dan Brown-inspired quest. But instead of searching for the Holy Grail, the streamer has been looking for a new leading man to replace Tom Hanks in a revival of The Da Vinci Code franchise.
According to Deadline, Morgan Spector is in negotiations to take over the role of Robert Langdon. If finalized, Spector would headline Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of Dan Brown’s The Secret of Secrets, marking the latest attempt to revive one of the most successful mystery-thriller franchises of the 21st century.
Morgan Spector – The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, YouTube
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The series was ordered by Netflix last year, with Carlton Cuse—who served as co-showrunner of Lost after J.J. Abrams shifted his focus to feature films—set to serve as showrunner and executive producer alongside Brown. Rather than adapting one of Brown’s earlier novels, the series will be based on The Secret of Secrets, the sixth Robert Langdon novel, which was published in 2025.
An official title for the new series has yet to be announced.
Morgan Spector Eyes Robert Langdon Role
Best known for his performances in The Gilded Age and The Plot Against America, Spector would become the third actor to portray Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon in live action.
Tom Hanks previously played the character in The Da Vinci Code (2006), Angels & Demons (2009), and Inferno (2016). Ashley Zukerman later portrayed a younger version of Langdon in Peacock’s The Lost Symbol, which lasted just one season before being canceled.
Ashley Zukerman as Robert Langdon – Peacock, YouTube
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Deadline also reports that Rebecca Hall is in negotiations to star opposite Spector as Katherine Solomon, a brilliant scientist and Langdon’s romantic partner. If cast, it would mark the first television series the real-life husband-and-wife actors have appeared in together.
A New Chapter for the Franchise
In a May 2025 press release, Netflix said that in The Secret of Secrets, Langdon “races against ancient forces and time to rescue a missing scientist, whose groundbreaking manuscript contains discoveries that have the power to forever change humanity’s understanding of the mind.”
Although Peacock’s The Lost Symbol quickly faded from memory and it has been a decade since Hanks last portrayed Langdon on the big screen, Netflix’s decision to adapt Brown’s latest novel suggests the streamer believes audiences still have an appetite for The Da Vinci Code franchise.
The Films Became a Cultural Phenomenon
The original Da Vinci Code trilogy, directed by Ron Howard, proved enormously successful at the global box office despite receiving mixed reviews from critics. At the same time, both the novels and the films sparked controversy in some religious circles for presenting ideas that appeared to support early Christian heresies. Others were simply distracted by Tom Hanks’ unusually long hairstyle.
Tom Hanks in Angels & Demons – Sony Pictures Entertainment
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In a Tonight Show monologue, host Jay Leno joked, “The Vatican is asking Catholics to boycott the film version of The Da Vinci Code—not because of the controversial religious content, but because Tom Hanks’ hair looks absolutely ridiculous.”
Despite the criticism and controversy, the three films combined to gross more than $2 billion worldwide, helping establish Robert Langdon as one of modern cinema’s most recognizable literary heroes.
Whether Spector can step into a role so closely associated with Hanks remains to be seen. It also remains an open question whether Netflix subscribers are ready to revisit the world of The Da Vinci Code after nearly a decade away from the franchise.
Do you think anyone can replace Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon? Sound off and let us know!
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