The ensemble cast put together by Joss Whedon for The Avengers: Age of Ultron really borders on the ridiculous at this point. Not only is the movie bringing back the likes of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Cobie Smulders back from the first Avengers, now the gang is going to include James Spader, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Thomas Kretschmann, Don Cheadle and Paul Bettany as well (Bettany getting an upgrade from voice-over performance to a live-action role). Really, though, that is just a list of the actors that we know about. We can probably expect a few surprise appearances from other established supporting characters as well. For example...
Speaking with Total Film (via CBM), Stellan Skarsgard revealed that he will be making his fourth Marvel movie appearance with a part in The Avengers: Age of Ultron. The news came out while the Swedish actor was talking about his relationship with the studio, which dates back to when he played Dr. Erik Selvig in Kenneth Branagh's Thor . He revealed that he has a five-picture deal with the company, and that his next performance within the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be in Joss Whedon's upcoming blockbuster sequel. The actor confirmed that it's just a small part, but that "it’s something really nice."
While Skarsgard couldn't exactly say what Erik Selvig will be doing in The Avengers 2, he did seem to confirm one strange detail: he will once again be showing a good deal of skin. After the interviewer commented that Selvig spent a good amount of time in Thor: The Dark World nude, the actor responded,
"Yeah, I was naked again. They called my agent and said, 'Do you think Stellan will mind being naked?' My agent laughed his head off. Yeah, I almost insist! Sometimes with a contract you get a nudity clause, which is fantastic. It’s supposed to protect me from having my genitals exploited, which I doubt anybody would make a dime on."
It's kind of hard to tell if he's joking or not, but at the same time I wouldn't be too shocked at a running gag where Dr. Selvig continues to have a hard time keeping himself clothed. Skarsgard went on to suggest in the interview that his part in the Avengers: Age of Ultron is at least partially dedicated towards getting across exposition (as a scientist character, he's good for stuff like that).
The Avengers: Age of Ultron has wrapped principal photography, but there are still many months of post-production ahead as the movie makes its way towards its May 1, 2015 release date. Now that we know Dr. Selvig is going to appear, what other established supporting characters would you like to see show up in the new Marvel movie? Hit the comments and tell us what you think.
