Dungeons & Dragons: Rege Jean-Page Hired For Purpose Of 'Out-Hotting' Chris Pine

"Dungeons & Dragons" is having a moment in the sun that few of its early adopters would have predicted. After seeing a resurgence in popularity from the success of "Stranger Things," the second try at a major motion picture has emerged as both a critical and box office success with "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves."

With clever writing, a unique tonal balance, and plenty of fun nods to its source material, "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" has seemingly landed a perfect role as far as adaptations are concerned. However, when it came to one of the most prominent casting decisions for the film, the choice was a bit tongue-in-cheek.

As "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" co-writer and co-director Jonathan Goldstein told Collider, casting "Bridgerton" heartthrob Regé Jean-Page as one of the members of the central cast wasn't just a no-brainer, it was also a fun dig at star Chris Pine. "Regé was sort of a no-brainer," Goldstein said. "You know, we loved the idea of out-hotting Chris."

As any Chris Pine fan would well expect, the charming leading man had no problem whatsoever with having his fire challenged by some extra heat from his co-star. In fact, Pine reacted with playful indignation when he first saw Regé Jean-Page had joined the cast of "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves."

As Jonathan Goldstein went on to explain, Pine had a pretty amusing reaction to the news. "When we cast Regé, he didn't quite know his work or anything, and we showed him a picture of Regé, and Chris was like, 'Come on!'" For an actor who has been known for his smoldering good looks for much of his career, the irony of passing, or at least sharing, the torch of hotness for "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" was clearly not lost on him.

While the debate over who is the best Chris in Hollywood has been ongoing for years, it looks like the next generation could be bringing in some new non-Chris competitors as well. With that in mind, Pine won't just have to be watching over his shoulder for fellow MCU stars like Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans, but also for up-and-comers like Jean-Page. Fortunately, the "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" star seems to be taking it pretty well.