Even though production on Iron Man 2 is well underway, two more actors have joined an already stacked cast. The Hollywood Reporter tells us that Clark Gregg will reprise his role as Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. from the first film, and Kate Mara has hopped onboard in an unspecified role – though some folks think she’ll be playing the character of Bethany Cabe, Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) friend, ally and one-time lover.
In other Iron Man 2 news, Downey Jr. recently talked up the film while doing press for The Soloist (in theaters this weekend). According to Collider, the Iron Man star confirmed they were planning something "cool" for this year’s San Diego Comic Con, and that he’s been taking this sequel "more seriously" than any film he’s ever done because it’s so big and carries with it a tremendous amount of pressure.
Additionally, Downey Jr. also said the story for this second installment is "incredibly risky and artistic for a big genre movie." When pressed to explain that comment, he noted: "The set pieces have to do with things that aren’t your typical like bad guy conflict. The relationships are very complex and hilarious. The motivations Tony has and why he turns around and does things has completely to do with his own internal processes and it really is, I think, as much as we tried to in the first one really see behind the façade of this kind of storytelling."
Finally, Downey Jr. commented on the rest of the star-studded Iron Man 2 cast, by calling Mickey Rourke’s acting "literally remarkable," Scarlett Johansson "amazing" and said Don Cheadle is "just rocking it." Sounds pretty good to me – whaddya think?
Iron Man 2 hits theaters on May 7, 2010.
