The Martian - the movie

http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/ridley-scotts-next-will-be-the-martian-and-where...

Drew Goddard has done a screen treatment and Matt Damon is supposed to star.
Somewhere recently, I saw who Andy Weir had visualized as Mark Whatley; but I can't find the reference now, though I recall he 's English.

"...I think some good candidates would be Aaron Paul and Chris Evans."
http://crownpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/A-Conversation-with-Andy-W...

ETA:

He has also mentioned Bradley Cooper -- http://bit.ly/1rAzuxP

Good research! I think it was Cooper I remembered.

Weir certainly had a particular physical type in mind, yes? I wonder who the model was for the cover illustration. It is so evocative.

So, are we excited about Matt Damon?

Eh. I was hoping for someone nerdier. Justin Long. Alan Tudyk. Zachary Quinto. Jim Parsons. Matt Lewis. Simon Pegg if he was a hair less nerdy. Rupert Grint? Eh. Not sure he could pull it off...but maybe.

ETA: Matthew Gray Gubler. He could pull it off.