More 'Iron Man 3' casting news is rolling in. Last week it was announced that Sir Ben Kingsley had signed on to play the villain in the third installment of the franchise, which is to be directed by Shane Black ('Kiss Kiss Bang Bang'). Now it seems Guy Pearce ('Lockout') has entered the fray as well. Pearce will be playing Dr. Aldrich Killian who, along with Tony Stark, develops the Extremis technology. Warren Ellis' 'Extremis' storyline, dealing with nanotechnology, was some time ago revealed to be the basis of the new film's plot, and Pearce's casting as Killian further supports this claim. In addition to 'Lockout,' Pearce will be appearing this year in Ridley Scott's 'Prometheus.' 'Iron Man 3' begins shooting next month in North Carolina.

My distaste for 'Lockout' aside, Guy Pearce is a fantastic actor and I think he'll make a great addition to the cast. That being said, while Dr. Aldrich is crucial to the plot of 'Extremis,' I don't recall him being in it much. Unless they take some liberties with the story, Guy Pearce is going to have very limited screentime. It seems strange to me that they would get a big name like Pearce for so small a part, but perhaps it's a calculated career move on his part. Showing up in a superhero film as high profile as 'Iron Man 3,' even for a moment, certainly can't hurt your visibility for future roles. I'm really looking forward to see how all of these casting and story elements come together under Black's direction.

What do you guys think? Do you seem them beefing up the Dr. Killian character for Pearce?

Source: Variety