This evening USA Today, which for some reason gets all kinds of exclusives, ran the first-ever image of Mickey Rourke in costume as Whiplash, the main villain of Iron Man 2. It's really remarkable that this is the first image, given how often paparazzi find their way on to closed sets and get grainy images. And hey, this one was worth the wait.
At USA Today you can check out a larger version of the image you see above, along with a few quotes from Jon Favreau and Rourke about where they're taking the character. Yes, that power pack on the chest does tell you that Whiplash has his own version of Iron Man's suit. Favreau also suggested that the Whiplash in the movie may be different from the one fans are expecting. " We like to play into and against the expectations that people might have so, we mixed it up a bit."
Rourke looks like hell in this image, and I mean that in the best way-- his pants appear to be a modified prison uniform, and his hair is somehow even worse than what we saw in The Wrestler. I love that Whiplash may represent a departure from the slick and shiny world of Iron Man. Thanks for wowing us again, Favreau.
