The actor is reported to star in the film adaptation of Dave Eggers’ “The Comebacker.”

A League of Their Own star Tom Hanks returning to the dugout with new baseball dramedy

The actor is reported to star in the film adaptation of Dave Eggers' "The Comebacker."

By Daysia Tolentino

Daysia Tolentino

Daysia Tolentino is a writer at *. *She has written for * *since 2025. Her work has appeared in NBC News, Vulture, GQ, and InStyle.

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March 27, 2026 12:34 p.m. ET

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Tom Hanks. Credit:

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Maybe there can be a little crying in baseball, after all.

Tom Hanks and director Marielle Heller are teaming up once again for a film adaptation of the short story *The Comebacker* by Dave Eggers, according to *Variety*. The two previously collaborated on the Mister Rogers biopic *A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood *in 2019, for which Hanks received an Academy Award nomination.

*The Comebacker *is a dramedy that follows a jaded San Francisco Giants beat reporter, Lionel, whose passion for baseball is reignited by new pitcher Nathan Couture. The title comes from a head injury that Nathan sustains, which causes him to speak poetically. The athlete's love for the game and appreciation for Lionel's prose inspire the writer.

Tom Hanks in 'A League of Their Own'.

Columbia Pictures/Everett

Hanks is set to star in the movie while Heller is on to direct. Both will produce the film through their respective production companies and are currently shopping the project around to various studios. *The Comebacker* would mark Hanks' return to the fictional dugout, coming over three decades after his role as the curmudgeon coach Jimmy Dugan in *A League of Their Own.*

* *reached out to representatives for Hanks and Heller for more details.

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Hanks has starred in several film adaptations of Eggers' books. He played hologram salesman Alan Clay in *A Hologram for the King *in 2016. The following year, he portrayed sinister tech CEO Eamon Bailey in *The Circle* alongside Emma Watson.

*The Comebacker *is the fourth installment of the author's short story collection *The Forgetters*, which will someday be turned into a greater novel, according to his website. Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, and Colman Domingo are both interested in roles for the upcoming film, according to *Variety. *

** reached out to representatives for Ocasio and Domingo for comment.

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Source: “EW Movies”