Since Mel Gibson's latest creepy tirade hit, we've wondered about The Beaver, about Jodie Foster's friendship with the troubled actor, and watched his agency dump him. But there's more than just the story of a man and his friendly beaver puppet on Gibson's plate. In December of last year -- as Mel was slowly sculpting his comeback -- word hit that he was putting on his helmer's hat to direct Leonardo DiCaprio in a viking movie written by William Monahan (The Departed).

If you've been wondering if Gibson could recover from this latest scandal, here's a check for your "no way" column: New reports say DiCaprio is pulling out of the movie.

According to Radar Online, sources have told the site that there's "not a chance" DiCaprio will star in Gibson's next film, that he won't risk his reputation to work with Mel. "Leo has earned the right to pick and choose who he works with and Mel Gibson is not one of them."

It's certainly the right choice for DiCaprio, and even though this has yet to be confirmed by his camp, I'd be surprised if it wasn't true. Why would the actor risk his successful career to involve himself in a quickly sinking ship? At least it's a Mel-directed feature rather than a Mel-starring comedy, but right now, it's still a huge risk for any actor to take on.

And if it's true, and even Mel's fellow actors are waving g'bye, could Gibson have any future in Hollywood?