'Iron Man 2' Recruits an Officer and a Lady

'Iron Man 2' Recruits an Officer and a Lady

Two more have been added to the ever large Iron Man 2 roster, according to The Hollywood Reporter and with production all nice, quiet and secret save for Jon Favreau's Tweets, we can speculate endlessly on what their additions might mean.

The first is a no-brainer, as Clark Gregg is returning as Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. Having hammered out the acronym, he gets to come back and try to keep Tony on the straight, narrow, and heroic. I think that's nice. You could just have any old agent, but they're keeping Gregg.

The female addition is what's really interesting. Kate Mara has joined the cast in an unspecified role. I'm going to just throw out a random guess (based largely on her looks) that she's playing Bethany Cabe. I can't believe they'd throw another love interest or action chick into the mix, but Cabe helps to defend Tony against Whiplash and Justin Hammer. She also suits up in some old Iron Man armor alongside Rhodes' War Machine to battle the giant robot Ultimo. The groundwork is there, but it's an awful lot of action and romance for one film. Perhaps Cabe will simply show up as Stark Industries' Head of Security, ready to do her part later on? Maybe she's just a love interest for Hammer? We'll know soon enough.

But wow, three redheads in one Marvel film? I thought it was Wolverine who had that particular fetish. Go Tony!

IT will be an interesting chemistry on screen.

Scarlett Johansson Addresses ‘Iron Man 2’ Fitness Criticism

Joining the Marvel Universe takes a lot of commitment — and we’re not just talking about those 9-movie contract deals, either. We’re talking about the blood, sweat, and tears it takes to assume a superhero physique, which is a requirement whether you’re laced with adamantium or hidden in an Iron Man suit. The endless crunches and strict diets is what separates the men from the boys — and the men from the women, as “Iron Man 2” actress Scarlett Johansson discovered.

“While training for an upcoming film, I’ve come to this conclusion: chin ups are near impossible and lunges suck,” Johansson wrote in a recent Huffington Post column. “There is no magic wand to wave over oneself to look good in a latex catsuit.”

While extreme workouts are a necessity for any new superhero or heroine, Marvel’s newest member found that her workouts are regarded in a much more critical light than those performed by Hugh Jackman and Robert Downey Jr.

“Since dedicating myself to getting into ’superhero shape,’ several articles regarding my weight have been brought to my attention,” wrote Johansson. “Claims have been made that I’ve been on a strict workout routine regulated by co-stars, whipped into shape by trainers I’ve never met, eating sprouted grains I can’t pronounce and ultimately losing 14 pounds off my 5′3″ frame … If I were to lose 14 pounds, I’d have to part with both arms. And a foot. I’m frustrated with the irresponsibility of tabloid media who sell the public ideas about what we should look like and how we should get there.”

And though the actress stresses the need to be fit, eat right, and stay healthy, she worries that many young women might read such irresponsible articles, and go on desperate and dangerous diets.

Johansson brings up an important and unhappy fact. No one suggested that Christian Bale wasn’t buff enough to play Batman or argued that Samuel L. Jackson needed a few crunches for Nick Fury, or called out the 300 ex-Spartans for not keeping up the regime. So, why does the Black Widow immediately come under the fitness microscope? Why should a superheroine be held as a standard for all women to emulate?

While we should all try to follow a heroic fitness regime, it’s important to remember that comic book characters are larger than life, and sketched into perfection. Expecting all mortals to look as good in latex is as impossible as surviving a radioactive spider bite.

and people should not dicate or control other people's lives if they can't control theirs.

Have We Already Met Iron Man's Arch-Enemy?

Have We Already Met Iron Man's Arch-Enemy?

The first Iron Man movie hinted that his ultimate foe would be the Mandarin, the Fu Manchu-esque villain who's long tormented Tony in the comics. But maybe we've already met the movie Mandarin? Spoilers below.

The Iron Man movie signaled it would avoid some of the more embarrassing/troubling aspects of The Mandarin by putting his organization, the Ten Rings, in Afghanistan rather than China or Vietnam. It was hinted that Ten Rings was some sort of criminal organization that sought regional geopolitical dominance. But the main member of Ten Rings we met in the first movie was Raza, the thug who kept Tony prisoner in that cave with the improbably self-sacrificing scientist.

But now Faran Tahir, who played Raza in the first movie (and who plays a Starship captain in the new Star Trek movie) says he might be back for Iron Man 3:

The character didn't die in the first one, and it is part of a larger story. Iron Man's biggest nemesis is Mandarin, and my character is the only reference to Mandarin. So we're still trying to figure out how it's going to fit. The things to consider, I think, are that if it is a bigger story, how much of it is exposed [and] when...

Is he the conduit to Mandarin? Does he become Mandarin? Is it just another leader of the Ten Rings, you know, thing? All the allusions [in] my first speech was all about Genghis Khan and all that, which is Mandarin's thing, you know?

And not surprisingly, Tahir says he'd be delighted if his character turned out to be the Mandarin, the Big Bad of the Iron Man saga. But of course, the movies could also bring him back to serve as the real Mandarin's henchman. Just, please, keep the Sax Rohmer overtones to a minimum.

It seems that The Mandarin will give a hard time to our great heroic character. BUt we will see how the story goes.

Scarlett Johansson Responds to Crash Diet Rumors

Scarlett Johansson is giving the skinny on how she's slimming down for her new role as Black Widow in 'Iron Man 2,' denying the rumors that she's been on a crash diet.

In a blog written for the Huffington Post, the actress says she's taken her workout to a whole other level. "I've come to this conclusion: chin ups are near impossible and lunges suck," she writes. "There is no magic wand to wave over oneself to look good in a latex cat suit. Eating healthy and getting fit is about commitment, determination, consistency and the dedication to self-preservation."

Scarlett also used the blog to clear up rumors of her dropping 14 pounds. "If I were to lose 14 pounds, I'd have to part with both arms. And a foot. I'm frustrated with the irresponsibility of tabloid media who sell the public ideas about what we should look like and how we should get there."

She continues by saying she feels "the press should be held accountable for the false ideals they sell to their readers regarding body image."

The actress is currently the face of Dolce & Gabbana's makeup line. She can also be seen in her "cat suit" when 'Iron Man 2' comes to theaters in May of next year.

She will definitely make a great protagonist in a great movie like this. i can't wait to see this.

Downey Jr suits up for Iron Man 2

Robert Downey Jr is returning to the superhero business as Iron Man 2 goes into production.

The Hollywood star is reprising the role of billionaire genius Tony Stark - who wears a gadget-laden metal suit to fight baddies - in the eagerly anticipated sequel to last year's blockbuster.

Iron Man 2 reunites the actor with co-star Gwyneth Paltrow and also features Don Cheadle, who replaces Terrence Howard as the superhero's military ally.

Other celebs appearing in the movie include Mickey Rourke, who has signed on to play a villain, screen beauty Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L Jackson, who had a cameo at the end of the first Iron Man.

Iron Man 2, which is being directed by Jon Favreau, is due to be released in 2010.

I can't wait for this movie!