Hunger is my McQueen's favourite one,maybe Michael's favourite performance among his collaborations with Steve. Epps could have been easily a caricature,considering the script,while in my opinion he succeds in conveying an emotional complexity throughout a very physical performance. But I understand why this contrast between moments of in which he seems to throw his body completely into it and moments of surreal stillness could be perceived as forced. I've really liked McConaughey's work in the last few years,but I've still some doubts about his range.Michael's accent always seems to appear slighty in all the movies I've seen except for 12 years which I felt his performance was forced. ( just my opinion).
I think his most convincing and best performance was Hunger.So I think he should pass on this role.
I think it will come out in 2016,but yes,it seems that he has too little time to prepare for it. I've read that Jeff Snider of The Wrap had been hearing rumors that Jobs' wife had been calling actors asking them to pass on the movie..:wondering I don't know if it's true. Sorkin said that Jobs asked for his help to write his commencement address at Stanford,I suppose their relationship was good.About Bale and Leo passing the role, we don't know why they did it for sure but it doesn't mean that the script is bad. Like I said before, Michael can totally do it but I don't know if he has the time to. It's a role that demands A LOT of preparation and it seems that Sony plans to release it in the end of 2015. In the first case, he will finish TLBO in the end of November I think so he would have too little time to prepare for it. In the last case, I think that Michael has Slow West and Macbeth to promote in the end of 2015 and if everything goes as planned with Macbeth, he will definitely go for Oscar's race. I don't know if Weinstein and Sony wanna fight for the same spot with the same actor. Unless Jobs comes out only in 2016, then it would be fine.