How many Oscar nominees can you fit into an “Iron Man” movie? It turns out, quite a bit. The third installment of the blockbuster series, appropriately titled “Iron Man 3,” already has Academy Award winners Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Kingsley in the fold as well as nominees Robert Downey, Jr., Don Cheadle and – no doubt – Samuel L. Jackson (via cameo). Now, reports indicate that 2012 nominee Jessica Chastain (“The Help”) is in talks to join the cast.
According to Deadline, Chastain was originally supposed to join the ensemble as a smart, but sexy scientist who will intellectually spar with Tony Stark (Downey, Jr.), but had issues with the scheduling of “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.” That Joel Edgerton drama has been pushed back and Chastain’s officially wrapped Kathryn Bigelow’s Untitled Bin Laden movie which put her back in the mix for the part. It’s not a slam dunk Chastain will join the impressive cast as Diane Kruger, Gemma Arterton and Isla Fisher have also been in contention for the role.
Stark ended “Iron Man 2” in a romantic relationship with his company colleague Pepper Potts (Paltrow) and that love affair is also depicted in “The Avengers” which opens next month. However, it’s hard to imagine Stark’s wandering playboy eye not being tempted by a character played by either of those lovely ladies.
Chastain will next appear in John Hillcoat’s “Lawless” which will debut at the Cannes Film Festival next month before opening in the U.S. on August 31. She’ll also be heard as one of the new circus characters in “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” and recently wrapped Terrence Malick’s untitled drama alongside Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams.
Shane Black will take over the helming duties from Jon Favreau this time around. “Iron Man 3” is expected to begin shooting this month for a May 3, 2013 release. If you can’t wait that long, you can obviously check out the Crimson Armored Warrior in Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers” on May 4.