Mickey Rourke is taking his role as a villain in the Iron Man sequel very seriously - he has visited a Russian prison to research his character.

The Wrestler star is set to play Russian super villain Whiplash in the 2010 movie, and he has taken off to Moscow to get into the mindset of a former Eastern Bloc baddie. The actor toured the Butyrka prison in Moscow on Friday. While there he met guards and even asked to be briefly locked in a cell.

Speaking at the South By Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas, Iron Man director Jon Favreau refused to confirm reports that Rourke was his Whiplash, but he stated, "The people that have deals should all be finalized in our cast this week. There are no big surprises in casting coming that I can foresee."

Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. has been fighting to get Rourke in the sequel for months. The film will also feature Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and Scarlett Johansson, who signed on to play Russian villainess The Black Widow last week.

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)