First Look: Mickey Rourke in Iron Man 2

Images of Mickey Rourke in the upcoming Iron Man 2 have begin to surface and I think that he looks great.  Rourke will be taking on the role of Whiplash in the highly anticipated sequel.

image: Paramount Pictures

The character first made an appearance in 1968 in the Tales of Suspense #97 comic book and has gone through several transformations over the years and became known as Blacklash in Iron Man #146 (May 1981).

In the movie, Rourke will be Russian prisoner, Ivan Vanko, so it’s not surprising that his portrayal of Whiplash will include elements of Crimson Dynamo, a Russian/Soviet agent who wears powered armor.

I have read that Rourke took the casting very seriously and even researched the role by visiting Butyrka prison and even suggesting that half of his dialogue be in Russian.  That is incredible dedication and makes me feel a lot better about this sequel.  I think that if he can be bring the kind of energy and enthusiasm that he did to The Wrestler, he could be amazing opposite Robert Downey Jr. Besides, it’s also just great to see them both enjoying major career comebacks.