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Mickey Rourke Officially IRON MAN 2's "Russian Villain"! Is Black Widow Cast, Too?

Beaks here...

The quick-to-publish Nikki Finke of Deadline Hollywood Daily has two items of significant interest for geeks this afternoon. First, she claims that Marvel Studios and Mickey Rourke have settled their salary squabble (in Rourke's favor), which means the real Best Actor of 2008 is officially on board as IRON MAN 2's "Russian villain" (which may or may not be the Crimson Dynamo). Since IRON MAN's greatest strength was its casting (and Favreau's direction of his actors), this is great news. (Finke also drops an intriguing tidbit re: Rourke almost taking a role as "the" baddie in SPIDER-MAN 4. I'm almost certainly reading too much into her wording, but is it possible that the James Vanderbilt/David Lindsay-Abaire script is limiting itself to one villain?)

The second item is a little less solid, but Finke's got excellent agency sources, so I'll go ahead and link to it as well. As expected, Emily Blunt is 100% out as Black Widow. Taking her place? Scarlett Johansson. According to Finke's story, this is somewhat surprising considering that Johansson was initially rejected after screen-testing for Black Widow months ago. But she's evidently back in the picture now that Fox is forcing Blunt to appear in GULLIVER'S TRAVELS (they had an option tied into her deal for THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA). Johansson's been in some dreadful movies of late, but she's a capable actress when well cast. Black Widow seems like something she could pull off.

Rounding out the day's IRON MAN 2 news, Jon Favreau (w/ DP Matthew Libatique) has something to show you.

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OLGA would be better.
by DHJeffries
Mar 11th, 2009
07:30:00 PM
Third... fourth?!
by IL_Deuce
Mar 11th, 2009
07:30:27 PM
Nice. Third... and FOURTH!
by IL_Deuce
Mar 11th, 2009
07:30:43 PM
Fuck.
by IL_Deuce
Mar 11th, 2009
07:31:18 PM
fuck first posters who don't call first and then point it out
by chrth
Mar 11th, 2009
07:31:54 PM
1384th!
by bonecrushersmith
Mar 11th, 2009
07:32:50 PM
Seventh?
by lockesbrokenleg
Mar 11th, 2009
07:32:59 PM
ERIC ROBERTS!!!!
by TylerDurden3395
Mar 11th, 2009
07:33:24 PM
I don't know...
by wampa 1
Mar 11th, 2009
07:34:09 PM
Live the HORROR
by Oknight
Mar 11th, 2009
07:34:54 PM
Indeed.
by IL_Deuce
Mar 11th, 2009
07:35:27 PM
RDJ and Mickey Rourke equals a rowdy set
by lockesbrokenleg
Mar 11th, 2009
07:36:30 PM
You're probably also the kind of guy that'll...
by IL_Deuce
Mar 11th, 2009
07:36:51 PM
Drinks fo all mah friennnnzzzzzzz
by Groothewarrior
Mar 11th, 2009
07:36:55 PM
ironman
by nightfalls
Mar 11th, 2009
07:37:41 PM
Chris Klein cast as Mandarin...
by TylerDurden3395
Mar 11th, 2009
07:40:13 PM
a "capable actress", huh?
by Aeghast
Mar 11th, 2009
07:44:13 PM
Kiera Knightley cast as Black Widow
by lockesbrokenleg
Mar 11th, 2009
07:45:37 PM
I have a bad feeling
by Carpet_Pisser
Mar 11th, 2009
07:45:43 PM
scarlett
by dahveed1972
Mar 11th, 2009
07:49:05 PM
Crimson Dynamo! Oh, and Gemma Arterton for Black Widow
by SpyGuy
Mar 11th, 2009
07:50:14 PM
Boo on Johansson
by LHombreSiniestro
Mar 11th, 2009
07:50:32 PM
Johannsen already has the vocals down
by terry1978
Mar 11th, 2009
07:50:45 PM
JOHANSSON < MOST THINGS > ROURKE
by CHRISTIAN_BALE_TRASHED_MY_LIGH TS
Mar 11th, 2009
07:51:02 PM
I think she's been good in exacty 2 movies
by dahveed1972
Mar 11th, 2009
07:51:07 PM
Rourke as KRAVEN or MORBIUS.
by Nosferatu Jones
Mar 11th, 2009
07:53:37 PM
lol
by phoenixmagida5th
Mar 11th, 2009
07:53:51 PM
What did he show you
by Phategod2
Mar 11th, 2009
07:54:08 PM
Jon has a Twitter page?
by lockesbrokenleg
Mar 11th, 2009
07:56:18 PM
dahveed1972
by CHRISTIAN_BALE_TRASHED_MY_LIGH TS
Mar 11th, 2009
07:58:09 PM
Johansson
by mrbeaks
Mar 11th, 2009
07:59:28 PM
Rourke as the Vulture!
by Domi'sInnerChild
Mar 11th, 2009
07:59:48 PM
Blunt > Johansson
by chaplinatemyshoe
Mar 11th, 2009
08:02:26 PM
Please let this be true
by hallmitchell
Mar 11th, 2009
08:04:13 PM
Dear Geek Gods - Please let Mickey be Mysterio
by hallmitchell
Mar 11th, 2009
08:04:56 PM
I thought Hilary Swank would be an awesome
by hallmitchell
Mar 11th, 2009
08:05:21 PM
"When she's bad, it's usually on account of being miscast."
by SilentP
Mar 11th, 2009
08:08:16 PM
Can the title of Iron Man 2 not be Iron man 2?
by hallmitchell
Mar 11th, 2009
08:09:02 PM
twitter
by unkempt_sock
Mar 11th, 2009
08:10:26 PM
Mickey as Kraven
by TylerDurden3395
Mar 11th, 2009
08:11:12 PM
Spider-man 4 = KRAVEN'S LAST HUNT
by Cannabis Holocaust
Mar 11th, 2009
08:13:00 PM
My problem with Johansson is…
by The Heathen
Mar 11th, 2009
08:13:39 PM
Iron Man: Sons of Steel is a better title than 'Iron Man 2?'
by TheMark
Mar 11th, 2009
08:16:50 PM
Iron Man Too starring Jason Bateman
by TylerDurden3395
Mar 11th, 2009
08:23:25 PM
Iron Man 2: The Search for Curly's Gold
by TheMark
Mar 11th, 2009
08:24:12 PM
That's right! The cold war is back!
by Rufferto
Mar 11th, 2009
08:26:48 PM
Spiderman 4 better be awesome
by liljuniorbrown
Mar 11th, 2009
08:30:16 PM
scar jo
by snicklefritz
Mar 11th, 2009
08:31:12 PM
Rourke For Rhino
by phoenixmagida5th
Mar 11th, 2009
08:31:42 PM
F U C K Y E S ! ! ! !
by Zeotron
Mar 11th, 2009
08:33:14 PM
yes that is a better title but
by phoenixmagida5th
Mar 11th, 2009
08:35:11 PM
Johansson
by fiester
Mar 11th, 2009
08:42:17 PM
Great news! Maybe Marvel has been listening to us?
by The Reluctant Austinite
Mar 11th, 2009
08:46:52 PM
THe Rhino
by hallmitchell
Mar 11th, 2009
08:49:29 PM
Peta Wilson for...
by samuraiwahoo
Mar 11th, 2009
08:59:48 PM
Iron Man 2 Did I leave the Iron On?
by lockesbrokenleg
Mar 11th, 2009
09:01:28 PM
They did watch that shitfest "The Spirit", right?
by Anna Valerious
Mar 11th, 2009
09:06:55 PM
Rourke and Johansson as Boris and Natasha?
by Flim Springfield
Mar 11th, 2009
09:15:06 PM
Mr Beaks
by daveyf
Mar 11th, 2009
09:22:18 PM
honestly I'm over Spiderman
by Charlie_Allnut
Mar 11th, 2009
09:26:39 PM
I called Mickey Rourke signing on Oscar night
by StarBlitzer
Mar 11th, 2009
09:43:45 PM
SCARJO?
by alice 13
Mar 11th, 2009
09:43:52 PM
Much as I love looking at her...
by fiester
Mar 11th, 2009
09:49:09 PM
Superherohype has a pic from the set
by lockesbrokenleg
Mar 11th, 2009
09:49:59 PM
imdb
by StarBlitzer
Mar 11th, 2009
09:53:05 PM
What makes Blunt a better actress than
by terry1978
Mar 11th, 2009
09:53:28 PM
What makes Blunt a better actress than Scarlett?
by terry1978
Mar 11th, 2009
09:54:03 PM
Rourke is here cause of his loss
by KevinMuller
Mar 11th, 2009
09:55:06 PM
Somebody ban that jackass that f'ed up the talkback!
by GQtaste
Mar 11th, 2009
09:56:39 PM
titannium man?
by tvs_frank
Mar 11th, 2009
10:11:21 PM
scarlet would be ok,
by mojoman69
Mar 11th, 2009
10:13:42 PM
snicklefritz
by Vladimir_Ilyich_Ulyanov
Mar 11th, 2009
10:20:17 PM
Rouke with a Russian accent...
by Crusher Creel
Mar 11th, 2009
10:26:31 PM
Re-Cast Paltrow
by slimballs
Mar 11th, 2009
10:31:55 PM
Marvel certainly has cast their films well thus far.............
by crackerfarmboy
Mar 11th, 2009
10:35:17 PM
For those complaining about ScarJo....
by Jobacca
Mar 11th, 2009
10:45:53 PM
Ahh but is it a 50 picture deal?
by Quin the Eskimo
Mar 11th, 2009
10:47:10 PM
Johannson is a mediocre actress.
by Evangelion217
Mar 11th, 2009
10:58:01 PM
IrO>n Man TwO>
by Quin the Eskimo
Mar 11th, 2009
11:01:39 PM
IrO>n Man TwO>
by Quin the Eskimo
Mar 11th, 2009
11:01:40 PM
rourke is coo'
by Jesiah
Mar 11th, 2009
11:21:18 PM
No Oscar=Less bargaining power. And Scarlett is wrong...
by conspiracy
Mar 11th, 2009
11:23:20 PM
Scar has been good in Ghost World.
by FrecklesBauer
Mar 12th, 2009
12:18:18 AM
FAMKE FOR BLACK WIDOW
by canucklehead
Mar 12th, 2009
12:31:39 AM
I'm damn excited about the Rourke news.
by a goonie
Mar 12th, 2009
12:33:58 AM
Big Cast
by Crestfallen
Mar 12th, 2009
01:04:28 AM
Emily Blunt, I ain't mad...
by BrannigansLaw
Mar 12th, 2009
01:10:41 AM
Y'all bitched about Paltrow...
by BrannigansLaw
Mar 12th, 2009
01:13:52 AM
If they're looking to cast a smoking hot American redhead...
by Gracing The Stage
Mar 12th, 2009
01:16:23 AM
so...
by WS
Mar 12th, 2009
01:22:49 AM
Can we read that Spidey's next foe is The Rhino into this?
by Alfie Boy
Mar 12th, 2009
01:51:14 AM
Scar Jo
by criticalbliss
Mar 12th, 2009
01:52:18 AM
Gracing the Stage
by criticalbliss
Mar 12th, 2009
01:53:42 AM
ws
by Kai_Mah'gra
Mar 12th, 2009
04:09:38 AM
Fav' - Cast Famke NOW
by JIMBOCOP
Mar 12th, 2009
04:20:47 AM
Someone should tell Favreau that the Cold War is over?
by chien_sale
Mar 12th, 2009
04:21:35 AM
Not to be sexist, but...
by Grievey
Mar 12th, 2009
04:22:21 AM
Other talkbackers have pretty much summed up my reaction
by judderman
Mar 12th, 2009
04:50:29 AM
Casting around...
by eli_cross_otoole
Mar 12th, 2009
05:17:03 AM
I didn't mind Iron Man
by barnaby jones
Mar 12th, 2009
05:22:19 AM
It's Iron Man 2...not the effin' Godfather!!!
by Sephiroid
Mar 12th, 2009
06:06:05 AM
Why couldn’t they hire an actual eastern European to play the pa
by ominus
Mar 12th, 2009
06:06:39 AM
Mickey as Kraven the Hunter in spidy 4
by ominus
Mar 12th, 2009
06:29:26 AM
Puke!
by adiehardfanwithalethalweapon
Mar 12th, 2009
07:17:16 AM
I sure hope this is true. After Sam it seems they've finally go
by Mr Nicholas
Mar 12th, 2009
07:31:06 AM
NO MORE FAVREAU CAMEO!!
by shonin
Mar 12th, 2009
07:33:52 AM
How come AICN isn't reporting...
by TylerDurden3395
Mar 12th, 2009
07:48:05 AM
Black Widow: Terrible casting
by Midnightxpress
Mar 12th, 2009
07:50:08 AM
So FUX yet again...
by Kid Z
Mar 12th, 2009
08:00:46 AM
YES for Rourke! --Scarlett Johansson? I'm not so sure.
by JDanielP
Mar 12th, 2009
08:20:23 AM
No for Scarlett
by Laserhead
Mar 12th, 2009
08:42:54 AM
Five years ago I would have been for Scarlett
by walrusholder
Mar 12th, 2009
08:51:23 AM
Rourke should have been Eddie Brock
by spectrebeeyatch
Mar 12th, 2009
08:52:26 AM
Research and speech patterns?
by WavingFlagsInSpace
Mar 12th, 2009
08:54:42 AM
Cool Russian villain
by PowerRing
Mar 12th, 2009
09:00:46 AM
RE: What makes Blunt a better actress than Scarlett?
by Mr. Nice Gaius
Mar 12th, 2009
09:07:13 AM
Oh, and GO ROURKE!
by Mr. Nice Gaius
Mar 12th, 2009
09:07:41 AM
Scarlett needs to play Black Widow as REAL, not a cartoon.
by JDanielP
Mar 12th, 2009
09:19:14 AM
That Vicky Christina Barcelona sure was dreadful.
by HoboCode
Mar 12th, 2009
09:22:47 AM
Scarlett Johansson Nooooooooooooo
by Norm3
Mar 12th, 2009
09:31:35 AM
IMDB says he's Whiplash.....
by westie
Mar 12th, 2009
10:07:00 AM
I 2nd that! Scarlett Johansson?? NO!!!!!!!
by FleshMachine
Mar 12th, 2009
10:09:38 AM
Scarlett is first casting mistake
by Ky-El
Mar 12th, 2009
10:24:20 AM
This Scarlett casting...
by emeraldboy
Mar 12th, 2009
10:25:20 AM
They will cover up her lack of action ability with...
by emeraldboy
Mar 12th, 2009
10:26:14 AM
Rourke as Kraven
by fiester
Mar 12th, 2009
10:26:23 AM
i hope rourke doesnt pull a "cage/travolta"...
by JimmyJoe RedSky
Mar 12th, 2009
10:27:24 AM
WavingFlagsInSpace
by JDanielP
Mar 12th, 2009
10:32:33 AM
Scarlett Johansson is no "black widow"
by JimmyJoe RedSky
Mar 12th, 2009
10:34:16 AM
JDanielP
by WavingFlagsInSpace
Mar 12th, 2009
10:45:18 AM
I would've preferred blunt but...
by #1 Zero
Mar 12th, 2009
10:48:08 AM
cool. Rourke will make it fun. not sure on Scarlett though
by smudgewhat
Mar 12th, 2009
11:07:55 AM
Marvel caved to Rourke? Why?
by Flea Circus
Mar 12th, 2009
11:32:08 AM
Rourke should have won an award for his Indie Spirit speech.
by AzulTool
Mar 12th, 2009
11:38:44 AM
Scarlett's too All-American
by BenBraddock
Mar 12th, 2009
12:07:09 PM
Actresses I'd rather see play the Black Widow
by DeadPanWalking
Mar 12th, 2009
12:19:35 PM
Whose stretching out the talkback!!??
by DoctorWho?
Mar 12th, 2009
12:21:42 PM
I do not get Mickey Rourke love
by Touche_Douche
Mar 12th, 2009
12:25:41 PM
Obama could totally fuck ScarJo.
by AzulTool
Mar 12th, 2009
12:26:45 PM
Arcadian Del Soll...Now THAT was fuckin funny...
by conspiracy
Mar 12th, 2009
12:46:18 PM
dont get the rourke hype
by The_Exterminator
Mar 12th, 2009
12:58:28 PM
also
by The_Exterminator
Mar 12th, 2009
12:59:01 PM
Rourke should play Kraven the Hunter
by CarmillaVonDoom
Mar 12th, 2009
01:04:41 PM
KURYLENKO OR JOVOVICH
by Mullah Omar
Mar 12th, 2009
01:19:29 PM
REAL, Athletic, believabe RUSSIAN actress
by Darth Macchio
Mar 12th, 2009
01:28:49 PM
Eliza Dushku
by santi01
Mar 12th, 2009
01:45:24 PM
Hope your sources r wrong
by santi01
Mar 12th, 2009
01:46:47 PM
Yeah, can we get a RUSSIAN in the RUSSIAN part?
by MattmanReturns
Mar 12th, 2009
01:54:21 PM
Rourke: Good news Johannsen: Bad News
by Thunderbolt Ross
Mar 12th, 2009
02:26:07 PM
REBOOT IRON MAN!!
by StarBlitzer
Mar 12th, 2009
02:31:36 PM
I fine with Scarlett, she's got a great ass
by Chuck_Chuckwalla
Mar 12th, 2009
03:22:41 PM
Scarlett needs a scene with a dild*. Instant hit.
by Damien Chowder
Mar 12th, 2009
03:40:21 PM
Rourke as Whiplash?
by DarthChimay
Mar 12th, 2009
03:42:18 PM
Kai_Mah'gra
by WS
Mar 12th, 2009
03:53:49 PM
Milla Jovovich!!!
by thegrayghost
Mar 12th, 2009
04:55:42 PM
Rourke as Kraven
by Mr_X
Mar 12th, 2009
05:10:07 PM
Olga Kurylenko ... maybe, but
by thegrayghost
Mar 12th, 2009
05:16:28 PM
I LOVE Scarlett
by DoctorWho?
Mar 12th, 2009
05:33:12 PM
yahoo movies
by steelerman
Mar 12th, 2009
05:48:58 PM
yahoo movies
by steelerman
Mar 12th, 2009
05:50:18 PM
Blacklash was originally Whiplash....
by westie
Mar 12th, 2009
06:08:30 PM
ScarJo can pull off 60, huh?
by Immortal_Fish
Mar 12th, 2009
06:44:18 PM
Olga Kurylenko
by Immortal_Fish
Mar 12th, 2009
06:50:09 PM
CARLA GUGINO as BW!
by Logan_1973
Mar 12th, 2009
06:51:03 PM
He's cool but...
by pyramidsfan
Mar 12th, 2009
07:30:27 PM
Favreau, THIS is who should play Black Widow!
by BrownMr
Mar 12th, 2009
07:51:29 PM
Bad link, here's a better one for Ekaterina
by BrownMr
Mar 12th, 2009
07:53:15 PM
Trying again... here's Black Widow...
by BrownMr
Mar 12th, 2009
08:00:05 PM
Last try
by BrownMr
Mar 12th, 2009
08:06:37 PM
ScarJo-okay.
by Sal_Bando
Mar 12th, 2009
09:03:14 PM
Rhona Mitra as Black Widow?
by Alfie Boy
Mar 12th, 2009
10:15:52 PM
Mila Kunis for Black Widow
by lockesbrokenleg
Mar 12th, 2009
11:01:04 PM
Mickey is...
by DickFitzwell
Mar 12th, 2009
11:04:30 PM
This will now have the stink of The Spirit
by Dingbatty
Mar 13th, 2009
01:37:21 AM
While I agree with JimmyJoe's assessment of ScarJo....
by LaneMyersClassic
Mar 13th, 2009
09:01:44 AM
Only one happy about this Scarlett casting...
by Squidgy_Faced_Vigilante
Mar 13th, 2009
10:07:41 AM
"Mickey-Love" is a duty!
by eli_cross_otoole
Mar 13th, 2009
10:48:26 AM

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