Brad Pitt has lopped off those locks for his new film Fury, a World War II epic featuring Shia LeBeouf. In it, he – we presume – heads up an elite taskforce to undertake a dangerous mission towards the tail end of the War. We’re assuming the part about him heading it up, the rest, well that’s bona fide plot right there.

Brad PittPitt and his once-long hair saving the day in World War Z

Don’t worry though; you can still see grey-tinged shoulder-length hair in a few of his upcoming movies, 12 Years a Slave and The Counselor, to name just a couple.

To prepare for the role, Pitt, Lebeouf and Logan Lermen went to the Mojave Desert to meet with soldiers at the National Training Centre. Not quite the freezing depths of Western Europe’s fierce World War II backdrop, but nevertheless.

“It was a unit-sponsored event with just a small group of soldiers in the field,' the Fort Irwin spokesman Gus Bahena told the Desert Dispatch. “There was no official meet-and-greet. They’re only here for a brief visit to observe the complex training environment that the National Training Center has to offer.”

Michael Fassbender and Brad PittAnd here's cowboy Pitt with long hair in Ridley Scott's The Counselor

Pitt plays the outrageously names character, Wardaddy. The film takes place at the end of the War, with the German regime falling. Pitt’s five-man crew helm a tank named Fury, fighting off the remaining resistance. “Outnumbered and outgunned, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany,” reads the press release.

“We loved this script from the moment we read it,” said Doug Belgrad, President of Columbia Pictures. “This is epic and authentic storytelling at its finest and we couldn’t be more excited to be in business with David Ayer and Brad Pitt on this incredible story of sacrifice and heroism.” (Collider)

The film is scheduled for release in November 2014. Filming will start soon, once Pitt gets the hang of Tank driving.