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Wide ScreenBen Kingsley up for villain role in ‘Iron Man 3,’ but who will he play?
There's no better way to imbue a classic comic book villain with some real-world gravitas than by casting an actor with some serious chops. Would anyone have taken a villain who called himself "Magneto" seriously if he'd been played by anyone other than the equally magnetic Sir Ian McKellen or Michael Fassbender? Not a chance.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, it's with that in mind that the producers of "Iron Man 3" -- the third installment of Marvel's popular film series and follow-up to this summer's "The Avengers -- have begun talks with Sir Ben Kingsley to have the venerable actor take on the role of one of the sequel's antagonists. Finally, someone to keep up with Robert Downey Jr.!
The script for "Iron Man 3" is still being written, so it's still unknown what role exactly Kingsley will be playing. However, there are many hints that suggest the actor may play some version of the classic Iron Man villain the Mandarin. The character would need to be tempered and adapted for the big screen, since his original comic book depiction was more than a little racist and xenophobic -- a magic, ring-wielding Chinese stereotype who is in league with communists. Not exactly the most politically correct villain for a Disney-produced film.
Jon Favreau, who directed the first two "Iron Man" movies, stated that he eventually wanted to bring the character into the series, but his exit from the franchise put the Mandarin's appearance in "Iron Man 3" in doubt. However, THR's insiders say that the unfinished script means that the Mandarin may yet rise, with Kingsley wearing the rings. Filmmaker Shane Black, who is writing and directing "Iron Man 3," has stated that the character in his original form is nothing but "a racist caricature."
Don't let Kingsley's famed soft-spoken role in "Gandhi" fool you; the Royal Shakespeare Company alum practically exudes menace, and that's exactly the kind of thing you need in a good villain. Anyone who has seen Kingsley in "Sexy Beast" can attest to how scary the man can be. Playing a comic book baddie, even one with such a ridiculous name like "the Mandarin," would be a walk in the park for Kingsley.
Another possibility pointed out by "insiders" is merging some iteration of the Mandarin with the villain from Marvel's acclaimed "Extremis" story arc. Written by comic scribe Warren Ellis ("Red") and fantastically illustrated by Adi Granov (whose artwork and concepts were key in creating Iron Man's big-screen look), "Extremis" pits Tony Stark against Mallen, a domestic terrorist who has been injected with a nano-technological serum that gifts individuals with superpowers or the ability to interface with technology. The "Extremis" storyline already partially inspired the first "Iron Man" film, so further adaptation from it for the third movie would only make sense.
The fact that producers seem reticent to discuss the primary villain in "Iron Man 3" may be telling. The Tony Stark character is famed for his long-running battle with alcoholism, a problem hinted at in the first two films but not one that has been seriously explored yet. Perhaps in the sequel, the hard-drinking Stark will have to face his greatest foe ever: himself.
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