The Hollywood trades are reporting that Mickey Rourke is close to signing as the heavy for Iron Man 2.  Both Variety and the Hollywood Reporter are saying that Rourke will play a Russian character; Hollywood Reporter says he will become Whiplash, Variety says he will become Crimson Dynamo.  The new role for Rourke would follow his rehabilitation as an actor in The Wrestler, which is getting a lot of Oscar talk. 

Rourke would join Robert Downey, Jr. (see “Downey, Jr. Re-ups with Marvel”) and Don Cheadle (see “Don Cheadle Replaces Terrence Howard”) in the new film to be directed by Jon Favreau.