First Look at Mickey Rourke in Iron Man 2

USA Today has published the first look at Mickey Rourke as villain Whiplash at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix in director Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2, opening in theaters on May 7, 2010. Rourke stars with Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Favreau, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Garry Shandling, John Slattery, Kate Mara and Clark Gregg in the sequel.

Whiplash sports a power pack on his chest that looks similar to the one used by Iron Man. "The technologies are definitely related, and that's part of the core theme of the film," says Favreau.

The character's alter ego, Ivan Vanko, is a Russian who, Favreau says, "has constructed his own version of a suit." Among the creative alterations: a pair of whips, powered by the suit's glowing chest piece.

Whiplash "is going to light them up," says Rourke.

Thoughts:

Looks good and I'm sure Rourke will give us another good performance. I am somewhat mad that Iron Man's greatest archenemy "The Mandarin", wont be appearing in the movie. I would have thought he would have been the villain in the sequel since he wasn't in the first. I do hope that they at least give us a teaser of him being the villain in Iron Man 3.