MIckey Rourke in Russian Prison

You read that headline right. Mickey Rourke is in a Russian prison and the photo above shows it. Has he gone off the rails while visiting Russia on a research trip for his forthcoming appearance as a Russian bad guy in Iron Man 2?

With Rourke it wouldn't be that much of a stretch to believe it, but have no fear he has just visited the prison as further preparation for his role.

MTV Splashpage had the news and the photos.

“If I ever did time, I would like to work in a bakery, because the smell of fresh bread reminds me of childhood,” said Rourke, according to The Moscow Times. The tour took him through Butyrka Prison in Moscow, talking to guards, getting a feel for the atmosphere, and even testing out the beds, Access Hollywood reported.

Previously, The Hollywood Reporter claimed that Rourke’s character would would be a “Russian heavy named Ivan who becomes Whiplash, a man with deadly, technologically enhanced coils.” If that’s the case, he would have a background different from his Marvel Comics namesake, but should be right at home in a prison like Butyrka, which was once home to the late Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

Sounds like Rourke is taking this role very seriously to go to this much effort in his research. Of course it could all just be a publicity stunt, but I get the feeling that he wants to keep hold of his second chance in the limelight after his amazing return in The Wrestler.

What do you think about Rourke's visit to the Russian Prison? Are you excited to see him in Iron Man 2?

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