There are big doings regarding the blockbuster sequel to one of 2008’s surprise hits. Yahoo Movies confirms that Mickey Rourke has signed on to play the villain Whiplash in Iron Man 2. One of the initial sticking points was reportedly a $250,000 offer to Rourke, whose Oscar-nominated turn in The Wrestler has raised his price tag considerably.
Money was also reported to be a problem with Terrence Howard, who played Jim “Rhodey” Rhodes in the first movie. He’ll be replaced by Don Cheadle in the sequel.
I’m assuming Marvel Entertainment opened up the purse strings a little more to get Scarlett …read more

Samuel L. Jackson makes more movies before 9 a.m. than most actors do all year, or so it seems. E Online! reports that Marvel Entertainment is working on a nine-picture deal that would keep Jackson playing SHIELD Director Nick Fury in Iron Man 2 and eight other Marvel films.
As Marvel leads up to its much anticipated Avengers movie other films rumored to be in the pipeline include Thor and Captain America. A possible scenario might involve Jackson appearing in those movies to recruit the heroes, as he did at the end of Iron Man. There’s even talk of a …read more

Image details: The Cinema Society & Michael Kors Host A Screening For "Iron Man" served by picapp.com
Not that this should surprise anyone, but Iron Man director Jon Favreau is already looking for ways to up the ante in an inevitable sequel. Favreau was cautious in an interview with Sci Fi Wire, prefacing his comments by saying he’d like to continue if the first film is successful.
He talks about how the weight and pressure of being Iron Man will affect Tony Stark’s already fractured personality. Diehard fans of Ol’ Shellhead will consider that comment a perfect opportunity to transition into the …read more