Fresh off his voice work on Sony Pictures Animation’s upcoming penguin feature Surf’s Up!, Jeff Bridges has become the fourth Academy-Award nominee to join the cast of Marvel Studios’ Iron Man. Directed by Jon Favreau (Zathrua: A Space Adventure, Elf), the Marvel Comics adaptation will also star Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard and Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow.
The film is centers on billionaire industrialist and genius inventor Tony Stark (Downey), who creates an armored suit to help him battle villains. Paltrow will play Stark’s personal assistant Virginia “Pepper” Potts, and Howard will portray Jim “Rhodey” Rhodes, Stark’s best friend and a decorated military pilot.
Marvel is being vague about the role Bridges will play, saying only that he will portray a close business associate of Tony Stark, a confidant and longtime employee at defense contractor Stark Industries who will play a major role in shaping Stark’s life. Fans of the Iron Man comic books are wondering if he might be Mandarin, the franchise’s chief villain.
“His character is central to the entire storyline of the film and we could not have asked for a better choice than Jeff to bring this role to life,” comments Kevin Feige, president of production for Marvel Studios.
Best known for roles in such films as The Big Lebowski, Seabiscuit, The Fisher King, and The Fabulous Baker Boys, Bridges has appeared in more than 50 movies. Among his other credits is a voice turn in the 1982 animated feature The Last Unicorn, which saw a 25th anniversary edition released on DVD today.
Iron Man is Marvel’s first self-financed and produced feature film. The company is working on casting all other supporting roles and is set to begin filming in Los Angeles this March. The pic is being produced by Feige and Avi Arad. Exec producers are Michael Helfant, Ari Arad, Jon Favreau, Louis D’Esposito and Peter Billingsley. Paramount Pictures will release the big-budget actioner on May 2, 2008.
Leave a Reply