Taylor Lautner Cast as Max Steel

A couple months ago, Taylor Lautner said he was uncomfortable with his shirtless scenes in New Moon and might not go topless again for awhile.

It was a troubling announcement, but it also appears to have been a premature one:

Lautner has been chosen to anchor Paramount's upcoming Max Steel movie. The title character is an action hero based on the toys and cartoon series that featured an extreme-sports enthusiast who becomes a crime-fighting machine.

The role will likely include many shirtless shots of Taylor, as Steel's abilities include super strength and invisibility.

Depending on the success of the first film, this also may be turned into a long-running franchise. If so, Lautner himself will be anything but invisible in Hollywood for years to come.