Jessica Chastain could be the woman keeping the bad men from the door: according to a report by The Nerdist, the Zero Dark Thirty actor has been offered a lead role in the second season of HBO's smash True Detective, though is yet to sign on the dotted line.

This latest casting rumour follows last week's speculation that Brad Pitt may be on the verge of joining the cast, too – a transition acted out symbolically in front of paparazzi when season one lead Matthew McConaghey threw Pitt a can of beer across the street in New Orleans. And if there's one thing True Detective fans love, it's symbolism.

Creator and writer Nic Pizzolatto is back for season two, though it seems unlikely that director Cary Fukunaga, who gave the show its unique visual style, will return to the director's chair.

Chastain's reps declined to comment on the story. Rumours of tin men made of beer cans appearing on red carpets all over Cannes have proven unfounded.

UPDATE: Reps for Chastain have now commented on the story, denying the star will appear in the series. Next rumour: Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig as joint leads?