Rourke had doubts over Iron Man

 
Mickey Rourke had to be talked into signing up for Iron Man 2.
The Wrestler stars plays villainous loner Whiplash in the movie, but director Jon Favreau revealed the role wasn't an easy sell - for Mickey or for Marvel Studios.



Jon said he and Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr worked hard to persuade both, explaining: "There was a lot of resistance to (Rourke). The studio was not inclined to hire him. It took a bit of a struggle and Robert was very helpful in that. And Robert was the guy who there was resistance in hiring last time around."
Mickey's agent insisted doing Iron Man 2 would be a good move, but the actor still needed convincing.
"I didn't want to play a one-dimensional villain," said the 53-year-old.

"I said I'd like him to have a sense of humour. I'd like him to have a particular look. I'd like to do it with the accent. I could see Favreau shaking his head, and I knew I was taking the chance that he could just say goodbye, thank you for coming in. But he embraced the ideas."
:: Iron Man 2 is in cinemas now.