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Shutter Island and Hugo star Ben Kingsley has recently been in talks to be the third Oscar-nominated actor to get to fight against Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man, following Jeff Bridges and Mickey Rourke.

 

Marvel announced that a third Iron Man sequel is in the works, this time with Downey vs. Kingsley. Kingsley's character will be the evil villain who strives to spread an infectious and deadly illness to the globe using nanobots, for the one and only Iron Man to hopefully save the day.

 

Unfortunately for Marvel Iron Man fans out there, there is some slightly disappointing news... not about Kingsley's role, but about whom he is not playing -- world-renounced super villain Mandarin. Mandarin is an Asian warlord and arms dealer and one of Iron Man's longest running adversaries, but he will not be in the series, as Iron Man director Jon Favreau announced upon the creation of the first and second films.

 

In 2009, Mandarin was even ranked as the 81st best comic book villain of all-time by IGN!

 

Iron Man 3 is set to begin filming later this year and is being directed by Shane Black of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

 

The film will be released to theaters on May 3, 2013, but if you can't wait to see Kingsley until they, be sure to check him out in the hilarious film The Dictator with Sacha Baron Cohen, hitting theaters this month!

 

 

- Samantha Blum, YH Staff