I’ve been a little worried about what following up District 9 by taking on the iconic role of Howling Mad Murdock in A-Team might do to the career of Sharlto Copley. At least if he fails to live up to the greatness of Dwight Schultz (the original Murdock) while shooting up bad guys with B.A., we now know he’ll have a second chance to prove he’s more than just a CGI sidekick. THR says he’s been cast in a movie called I Am Number Four.

The only bad news here is that maybe Copley is sort of being typecast. The movie is based on a yet to be published science fiction novel for young adults. It’s about aliens who escape the destruction of their home planet and hide out on Earth. Aliens on Earth? Yeah, Copley knows his way around that plotline. In this case though, they’re hiding out disguised as high school kids and Alex Pettyfer is playing the lead alien named “Four”. Sharlto is also an alien, formerly a servant, but now Pettyfer’s guardian and mentor. He’s the alien Mr. Miyagi.

D.J. Caruso, whose last two movies involved lots of Shia LaBeouf, will direct.