EW scoop-hounds nowhere near the development of Iron Man 2 have learned that John Cho has been cast as the Mandarin in Jon Favreau’s follow-up to the gold-plated blockbuster. Cho, having appeared as both Harold and Sulu, will make the Asian geek trifecta with this role as the power-ring-wearing, power-mad villain. Other horribly placed sources tell us that Tommy Chong is being eyed to play the Mandarin’s father, who claims to be the real genius responsible for the weaponeering success of Howard Stark, Tony’s beloved dad.
Does that sound real enough to start a casting rumor? Feels like it to me. After all, was there any more than that to go on when people started talking about Tim Robbins in Iron Man 2, Eddie Murphy as the Riddler in Batman 3, or Rachel Weisz as Catwoman in the same? (Let the record show that I am 100 percent in favor of a Rachel Weisz Catwoman.)
Is it a popularity thing, is that why people feel the need to start these rumors? What purpose do they serve, other to make people think you know more than anyone else? Why do these baseless rumors get any traction at all? Surely, we’ve got more important things to do with our time.
That said, I really would like to see Rachel Weisz as Catwoman. Which of these rumors do you wish were true? And, hey, wanna start one while you’re at it?
More casting rumors:
Eddie Murphy as the Riddler? Hmm…
Do you believe…in casting Cher as Catwoman?
‘Gossip Girl’: Four rumors
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I think part of the reason these rumours start is to give the players involved the idea. Producer “Hey! You, I was reading EW.COm and ya know Rachel Weitz would make a great Cat Woman”….
marion cotillard as catwomen
johnny depp as gatsby
lee pace in new lauren graham show
Rachel Weiz as catwoman hands down!
Cool! I’ve been a fan of John ever since the “American Pie” movies and have been waiting for him to hit the mainstream!
Cho as Mandarin, ummmmmmm NO. and WTF does Asian Geek Trifecta mean?
Chow Yun Fat would be better, or even Ken Watanabe but he was already “fake” al guhl.
i dont think they should do another batman movie, since absolutely nothing can top HL’s performance, no matter who plays the Riddler, Catwoman, or Penguin. But John Cho as the Mandarin? Sign me up! I think he’s pretty cool, tho i know very little about iron man’s background…
There’s a rumor and one I like quite a bit for Rachel Weisz as Catwoman, that would be friggin hot!
tony leung for the mandarin! someone with the age, experience, and gravitas to match up with rdj.
as for the batman rumorfest, i still think revisiting catwoman is a mistake (michelle pfeiffer was just too fabulous), and the penguin and riddler characters are too closely hued to what we’ve already seen. i’d look for something along the war games concept with the batman protocols. then have “average” citizens rise using tricks and gadgets to go after batman. why choose an iconic (or not) villan when the “average” person huting down a vigilante is far scarier as a concept than a bogeyman/bogeywoman.
There is truth to the Rachel Weisz casting, and that comes from Ted Casablanca from E and from Cinemablend and Batman on Film.
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b72731_Are_You_Smarter_Than_a_Gossip_Columnist_.html
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Eddie-Murphy-And-Shia-LaBeouf-Are-Not-In-Batman-3-11309.html
http://www.batman-on-film.com/BATMAN3_murphy-lebouef-not-in-batman3_12-18-08.html
Chow Yun Fat would awesome as the Mandarin, though he might be a little too old if Tommy Chong were to play his father.
there is no truth to any of those rumors….just cause “journalists” picked up a fake rumor and put it on their website does not make it any realer!
Nolan has no script, no shoot date, no casting, no ideas…nothing!
This is all websites trying to drive traffic to their sites and/or publlisists trying to get their clients work
NONE OF IT IS REAL!
Rachel Weisz would make an excellent Selena Kyle/Catwoman. My runner ups would be Kate Beckinsale, Eva Green or Rosemond Pike. For some reason, I think Catwoman should be a classy and sexy British woman.
Batman on film is a legitimate news site that has ties to the production of the new Batman films. They would not lie in order to bring in traffic and they even said that Rachel Weisz is being considered for Cat woman.
The reason these rumors start is because losers with WAY to much time on their hands sit around all day and think about this stuff. It’s sad. Oh and by the way to poster wtfasian: before you pull out your huge box of race cards just think about it. Asian geek trifecta means that 1. he’s ASIAN 2. this would be his third GEEKY movie he has done 3. three roles equals a TRIFECTA! Just because someone is calling an asian guy ASIAN does not mean they are racist against asians. Lighten up!
I think The Rachel Weisz rumor is true. For one, Batman on film does have people on the inside who gives them information on what is going on and for them to give credibility to the rumor of Weisz as a possible being CatWoman is as close for it being true.
The sun report only used Rachel Weisz name to legitimize the bogus Eddie Murphy report. I think Weisz is the real deal
Rachel Weisz > Angelina Jolie any day.
Rachel would make a great Catwoman
Would somebody please cast Takeshi Kaneshiro in a high profile American film! Rachael would be excellent as catwoman.
Anyone who has any sense should know that James Hong should play the Mandarin. Heck, he already did it once… Big Trouble in Little China anybody?. Okay, so he’s old. He should at least play the father though.
Eddie Murphy as The Riddler? Is Joel Schumacher directing? Will there be nipples on the batsuit?
I can’t see John Cho as the Mandarin. The guy is talented but I didn’t buy him as a villian in the film “Better Luck Tomorrow”. He is probably the only recognizable Asian-American name in movies today and that’s probably why he’ll get the role in such a blockbuster movie.
Yeah, Downey Jr. has hit the Caucasian Geek Trifecta with Iron Man, Sherlock Holmes and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang! Vive la Quebec!!!!!
I like John Cho and I’m glad they’re getting him out of Harold & Kumar hell.
http://backandforth.blogspot.com
aaron, why don’t you lighten up. Nobody has pulled out a “race card” in this thread. No one. So get off your anti-anti-racist soap box. People like you are ten times more annoying than over-sensitive anti-defamation groups. I think Shia Lebouf should be cast as the Mandarin. What a ballsy move that would be. It would show how far we’ve come.
Rachel Weisz would make a great Catwoman.
why not bring michelle pfeiffer back? she still looks hot. or keri russell who benefits by looking like michelle pfeiffer.
“Why do these baseless rumors get any traction at all?” Because you put them in your silly magazine?
Iron Man rocks!! Dark knight was good too!
Watch The Dark Knight full movie here!
http://missedashow.com/2008/12/batman-the-dark-knight-full-movie-watch-here/
Iron Man rocks!! Dark knight was good too!
Watch The Dark Knight full movie here!
http://missedashow.com/2008/12/batman-the-dark-knight-full-movie-watch-here/