Iron Man already made headlines by putting serious actor Robert Downey Jr. in the leading role, acquiring a caliber of actor one doesn’t typically associate with comic book movies. Now the franchise might be getting their hands on another of the same type. Actor Mickey Rourke, who is getting heavy Oscar buzz surrounding his role in The Wrestler, is in talks to join Iron Man 2, reports Variety.
Rourke is currently negotiating to play the sequel’s villain, another armored enemy akin to Tony Stark’s title character. The rumored frontrunner for the villain character is Crimson Dynamo, who, unlike the playboy millionaire, is more of a rough heavy brawler type. Rourke would be a great pick for the role, provided his Russian accent is tolerable.
Curiously, Rourke is not the only actor in talks for a villain role. According to Variety, Sam Rockwell is also in talks to face off with Iron Man. I would love to see both actors join the franchise, but let’s hope Jon Favreau learns from the mistakes of Batman and Spider-Man and doesn’t cram his sequel too heavily with villain characters. Just because the origin story is done doesn’t mean the movie has to become laden with villains - just ask Chris Nolan.
