Rourke, who was won acclaim for his starring role in 2008's "The Wrestler," is in negotiations to take up arms against the Marvel Comics superhero, according to Variety. He'd play Crimson Dynamo, a Russian villain who wears a red (of course) suit of power armor. Tony Stark best keep on his toes: Variety claims "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" star Sam Rockwell is eyeing a different bad-guy role in the same movie.

The tentatively titled "Iron Man 2" is set to hit theaters in summer 2010.

Rourke, 52, is no stranger to comic-book movies: He played brawny bouncer Marv in the 2005 adaptation of Frank Miller's "Sin City" graphic novels.