Who could really blame Leonardo DiCaprio for taking a step back from Mel Gibson’s planned movie chronicling the plundering and killing of Viking warriors?

There are not many that would want to be in any way associated with the troubled Irish Australian star as his rage-fuelled rants and domestic violence probes continue to unfold in court.

In fact a source close to the “Inception” star, DiCaprio, told RadarOnline.com, that there was “not a chance” DiCaprio would be involved in Gibson’s project.

-----------------

READ MORE:

Oksana Grigorieva has asked a California judge to disqualify Mel Gibson's lawyers in her custody case with the actor

Mel Gibson’s role in ‘The Beaver’ had a 'therapeutic' effect on him

Jodie Foster has a “deep friendship” with Mel Gibson because he’s “not full of s**t”

-----------------

As Gibson’s newest enterprise seems to have most definitely lost its leading man it seems that his is just another step in the downward spiral of Gibson’s career. It seems unlikely that, once a blockbuster Hollywood star, he will be able to claw his way back to the top for a second time.

The Viking movie would have been the first time that DiCaprio collaborated with Gibson.

Some time ago when the news first hit that they would be working together DiCaprio told MTV that he was looking forward to the project. He said “I've always wanted to do Viking Story. I'm a big history buff and I don't think there's been a really fantastic Viking film ever made. Those were some of the most barbaric people ever in history. I'd love to see Mel Gibson's version of that. Certainly with 'Apocalypto' and some of the other films he's made he's been able to transport me back in time unlike very many filmmakers have been able to ... I'd love to see what he does with that subject matter."

It seems that all this enthusiasm has worn off after Gibson’s weeks of controversial, racist and violent exploits have been plastered all over the news. The source told RadarOnline.com “Leo has earned the right to pick and choose who he works with, and Mel Gibson is not one of them."