Mickey Rourke as Russian Villain

A plum major studio role has cemented Mickey Rourke as the comeback kid. Although it was rumored that The Wrestler star would play the villain in Iron Man 2, a paltry $250,000 salary offer kept him from committing. Now Variety reports that he has signed on to portray the Russian bad guy after being promised a deal more in line with his recent surge of popularity. Robert Downey Jr., who returns in the title role, was said to have a hand in getting Rourke onboard. Not a bad rebound after last month's one-two punch of losing the Best Actor Oscar and the death of his beloved dog Loki nearly sidelined the increasingly eccentric, and surprisingly emotional, thespian.