In spite of the Australian actor remaining consistent about not discussing his films before they’re released, Guy Pearce opened up to Marvel.com recently about his role in Iron Man 3 as AIM scientist Aldrich Killian. While also sharing thoughts about the cast and director Shane Black, Pearce drops spoilers about the relationships in the Marvel threequel as well as action sequences.
Addressing Aldrich Killian’s primary motivation:
Killian is an interesting character as he’s somebody who came into this world with a number of physical disabilities. He’s never been able to accept those limitations though and has spent most of his life trying to overcome them in any way he can. His tenacity and blind determination in fighting for a better life are seen by some as irritating, as he often comes across as obnoxious. He just won’t accept the cards he was dealt, and being as intelligent as he is, has real drive to change and become a different person. So we find him at the start of the film in a flashback and we see the ambitious, almost annoying, guy that he is. He takes opportunities to try and latch onto people like Tony Stark. So you see this very ambitious character and you see him later on in the film having made a change, and Tony and the other people that have met him early on kind of go, “How did this happen? How did he do this?” But he’s a dangerous character. He wants to become all-powerful. That’s sort of a driving force with him and Tony Stark realizes eventually what this guy is capable of.
About the love triangle between Killian, Pepper Potts and Tony Stark:
When Killian started his organization A.I.M., however many years ago, Pepper was somebody whom he employed to work there. Obviously, from the outset he was very keen on her. She’s smart, she’s attractive, she’s a great girl. But Killian was someone that she was never interested in. When we meet Killian early on in the film, everything about him is unappealing on some kind of level and she always kept him at arm’s length. Then years later when he goes to her to basically look for funding and to get her involved again, she’s completely taken aback by how charming he is and how wonderful he now looks, plus his attitude’s changed. So she is kind of taken by him; she doesn’t quite know what’s happening to her and her reaction to him. And obviously, she and Tony Stark have a relationship, so this causes a little rift between those two.
On stunt training for Iron Man 3 action sequences:
I didn’t really do a lot of training. I’m generally pretty fit most of the time anyway and I like to be in control of the stunts that I’m doing. In the fight sequence between Robert and me, we’re sort of leaping off an oil rig out in the sea. There was a lot of leaping off higher platforms onto lower platforms, which is dangerous stuff but there were specialists around making sure we didn’t get injured. There’s also a lot of wirework where we’re wearing harnesses. I’d done a bit of wirework before on other films but you always need to go and have sort of a refresher course when you start another film.
Revealing what he’s most excited to see in the finished film:
I think the way Extremis works through people’s bodies. Often the visual effects guys would say, “At this moment, we’re going to see pulsing veins up your neck and we’re going to see that your eyes are going to sort of glow orange.” So, they had a few different ideas about how that was going to go and they were obviously very excited about pushing the envelope and doing things they haven’t done before.
For the rest of the interview, where Guy Pearce talks about working with director Shane Black, Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow and much more, make the jump over to Marvel.com!
Marvel Studios’ “Iron Man 3” pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man? Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale with Jon Favreau and Ben Kingsley, “Iron Man 3” is directed by Shane Black from a screenplay by Drew Pearce & Shane Black and is based on Marvel’s iconic Super Hero Iron Man, who first appeared on the pages of “Tales of Suspense” (#39) in 1963 and had his solo comic book debut with “The Invincible Iron Man” (#1) in May of 1968. “Iron Man 3” is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures & DMG Entertainment. Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige is producing & Jon Favreau, Louis D’Esposito, Stephen Broussard, Victoria Alonso, Alan Fine, Charles Newirth, Stan Lee & Dan Mintz are executive producers. The film hits May 3, 2013, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Marvel Studios will also release “Thor: The Dark World ” on November 8, 2013; “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” on April 4, 2014; “Guardians of the Galaxy” on August 1, 2014; the sequel to “Marvel's The Avengers” on May 1, 2015; and “Ant-Man” on November 6, 2015!