Apparently one villainous role is enough for Javier Bardem as of late. While the Oscar-winning actor continues to film the latest James Bond movie, Skyfall -- where he has been cast as Daniel Craig’s chief opponent – THR reports that Bardem has bowed out of the animated sequel Despicable Me 2.
It was reported months ago that Bardem was contemplating voicing El Macho, an evil genius who has sons – in much the same way that Steve Carell’s character, Gru, has daughters. Their parenting problems would pair the evil geniuses, though plot details beyond this bit of character information remains a mystery.
THR doesn’t say why Bardem moved on, just that the part is back up for grabs. Losing Bardem stinks, but vocal talent on an animated feature is a little easier to replace. Heck, if you can find an animator who does a solid Bardem impression, Despicable Me 2 could be back on track. And it’s going to have to rally, as the film has been given a July 3, 2013 release date. Thankfully, the animating team can continue working behind the scenes to create the images that Bardem’s replacement eventually will voice.
As for Bardem, he’ll next be seen in Terrence Malick’s currently untitled project with Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams. Though considering Malick’s tendency to tinker, Sam Mendes might have Skyfall in theaters long before Malick even settles on a name for his latest picture, let alone figures out a distribution model.
