I was really bummed yesterday when it was revealed that Jessica Chastain would not be starring in Iron Man 3. I had this great vision of her character, Maya, and Pepper Potts (as played by Gwyneth Paltrow) squaring off against each other while also mirroring the other's looks with their shared bright orange hair (in the "Extremis" arc that the movie is based on, Maya is a former flame of Tony's). Sadly that's not meant to be, but even more devastating is that Chastain is a tremendous actress and finding someone with equal-level skills is a challenge. But Marvel seems to have found one.
Variety reports that Rebecca Hall is now in talks for the role of Maya in Iron Man 3. The character is a scientist developing a nanotechnology called Extremis, an attempt at a new super soldier serum. When Extremis is stolen, Maya calls on Tony Stark to help find the culprit and stop them before it's too late. The project is being directed by Shane Black, his first film since Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and Black wrote the script along with co-writer Drew Pence.
Hall's most recent film, Lay the Favorite, premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival and is expected to be released sometime later this year. She is best known for her work in flms such as The Prestige, Vicky Christina Barcelona, Frost/Nixon and The Town. She's currently in production on an untitled thriller with Eric Bana that is being directed by John Crowley. Production on Iron Man 3 will begin later this month.
