Iron Man 2 Villains Announced

[Masked Jedi]

Story Here (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003928169)

Mickey Rourke circles 'Iron Man 2'
Sam Rockwell also in talks for a villain role

By Borys Kit
Jan 7, 2009
Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell are in talks to star as the villains in "Iron Man 2," being directed by Jon Favreau.

Marvel has been keeping a very tight lid on the script for the sequel, being written by Justin Theroux, but it is known that Rourke would play a tattooed Russian heavy named Ivan who becomes Whiplash, a man with deadly, technologically enhanced coils.

Rockwell would play Justin Hammer, a multibillionaire businessman and a rival of industrialist Anthony Stark, AKA Iron Man, being played by a returning Robert Downey Jr.

Rourke and Rockwell would be joining a cast that also includes the returning Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle, who is replacing Terrence Howard, making for one eclectically cast summer blockbuster.

Another part -- one for Stark's assistant Natasha -- is still open.

The project is eyeing a spring start in Manhattan Beach. Paramount will release the movie May 7, 2010.

So, I'm psyched. Rourke and Rockwell are two of my favorite actors, and I think they'd work well with Favreau and Downey, Jr.

Thoughts on the news:
I honestly think that the Whiplash thing is false, as the character doesn't sound right at all. The character description strikes me more as the Crimson Dynamo, or maybe the Titanium Man.

Rockwell as Hammer - He's here for one reason: to act as a catalyst for Stark's alcoholism ,allowing Cheadle to become War Machine. If he does anything more, he'll prolly be secretly funding the Big Bad. If they were going for a trilogy (which they're not), I would guess that he'd play a large role in the third one, but that isn't the case, so I'm expecting a subtler, more passive version of Obadiah Stane.

His assistant is named Natasha. I'm guessing she'll end up becoming the Black Widow in the Avengers movie, as they've dropped hints that she'll be in that one and they're already introducing another hero in this movie.

[Hawk]

What, no Mandarin? Even though they hinted at him being behind the events of the first film? Sounds a bit stupid to me. Guess I'm calling it false as well then.

[Mirai Gen]

Mandarin also requires either crazy far-fetched super tech or magic backstory, and either way that's a pretty huge undertaking. I always thought Mandarin despite being awesome would be tough to get into Iron Man.

I'm skeptical but sounds interesting.

[Fifthfiend]

Even though they hinted at him being behind the events of the first film?

Er, what?

[Archbio]

Er, what?

The terrorist organization being called the Five Rings.

The terrorist leader going: "The man whose ring I wear" while talking about his superior.

All about the Mandarin.

Mandarin also requires either crazy far-fetched super tech or magic backstory, and either way that's a pretty huge undertaking.

Doing a sequel that measures up to the original is a huge undertaking. If they've given up on that, I'm going to have to pass on going out of my way to see this movie. It seems that they're falling back on doing more of the same because it's safe. Corporate take-over was the plot of the first movie, and an evil version of the Iron Man armor featured heavily in the action confrontation of it as well. Returning to those wells is just going to make the sequel superfluous. The same thing happened to the third X-Men movie, really. Among other things.

And what the hell? Whiplash? Really?

[Moogle0119]

Actually it was called the Ten Rings, but otherwise that's all correct. The Mandarin villain wore ten rings which is where he derived most of his powers from originally.

[Archbio]

Ten Rings is too much jewelry. Tacky!

[Hawk]

Well, when one has 10 superpower imbuing rings, how does one accessories and choose only the best 2 or 3?? Does one pick disintegration powers, or electric blasts? Psychic intensifier, or the ability to rearrange matter?


Besides, it may look tacky, but with those kinds of powers would you really give a fuck?

[Archbio]

The only one anyone ever needs is the disintegration ray. All problems can be solved with the application of the right amount of disintegration.

[Doc ock rokc]

yes but all his rings contribute and amplify themselves as they where all made to work with each other to become a warp drive
i have all the rings powers and stuff in a spoiler just in case they do use the mandarin and because its really long
* Left little finger — "Ice Blast", emits waves of intense cold which can be used to stun an opponent. The ring usually causes the air in the path of its blast to turn to ice, and can lower an object's temperature to nearly absolute zero. With it, he could encase foes in bands of ice or create walls of ice to block pursuers.
* Left ring finger — "Mental-Intensifier", which amplifies the Mandarin's own mental energies and allows him to control the minds of others, with a limit of one person at a time at a distance of ten feet. Can also be used to create illusions. As proven by Psylocke, if the wearer of the ring is a natural telepath, the ring will enhance their abilities far beyond a wearer without telepathy.
* Left middle finger — "Electro Blast", emits electricity in amounts and intensities mentally determined by the wearer. The maximum voltage attainable is not known.
* Left index finger — "Flame Blast", emits infrared radiation, or heat, at intensities mentally determined by the wearer. Usually the heat produces flame through incandescing the molecules in the air in the path of the blast. The heat beam can be used to trigger chemical explosions.
* Left thumb — "White Light", can emit various forms of energy along the electromagnetic spectrum, often a laser-like beam. Can also create gravity sufficiently powerful to make Iron Man bury himself simply by trying to walk forward.
* Right thumb — "Matter Rearranger", which can rearrange the atoms and molecules of a substance. The Mandarin usually uses this ring to change the shape of objects, such as causing a giant stone hand to erupt out of the earth and grapple a foe, and turning a mountain into a giant rock monster. He has, however, used it to transmute the molecular composition of objects, such as changing the air around a target into a poisonous gas and can also speed up or slow down molecular movement so as to alter states of matter like turning water vapor into liquid water. Has also been used to turn someone into a beetle, and to turn someone into stone. It has failed to rearrange Iron Man's magnetic forcebeam reinforced armor.
* Right index finger — "Impact Beam", can project various forms of energy, most frequently that of fast neutrons with immense concussive force, sufficient to send James Rhodes in Iron Man armor flying through a mountain and thousands of miles past it. The ring has also been used to project intense sonic vibrations and to create magnetic and gravitational waves to attract or repel objects and people. The ring may be capable of emitting other forms of energy as well.
* Right middle finger — "Vortex Beam", causes the air to move about at high speed in a vortex. The vortex can be used as an offensive weapon, as a means of levitating objects, or as a means of propelling Mandarin through the air.
* Right Ring finger — "Disintegration Beam", emits a beam of energy that destroys all bonds between the atoms and molecules of the object it strikes. This ring needs twenty minutes to recharge after use.
* Right little finger — "Black Light", can create an area of absolute blackness that seems to absorb all light used within it. Although "black light" is a term used to refer to ultraviolet radiation, the darkness created by the ring is probably a form of the "darkforce" used by Cloak, Darkstar, and the Shroud. This darkforce can also be used to imprison and repel an enemy of Iron Man-level strength at least briefly.

[Hawk]

The only one anyone ever needs is the disintegration ray. All problems can be solved with the application of the right amount of disintegration.

If it weren't for the fact of its hefty recharge time I'd agree. I'd still prefer to have way more powers than is really necessary to be honest though.