Paul Bettany says he thought his ‘career was over’ before landing role  in £22 Billion Marvel Universe

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Paul Bettany recently revealed he believed his acting career was finished before he was cast as Vision in the 2008 film Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr.

The 54-year-old British actor continued to voice and appear as the supercomputer character in seven more films, plus the spin-off series WandaVision and the upcoming VisionQuest. This film series has earned an impressive £22 billion.

Interestingly, just before Paul landed the role he’s now famous for, a Hollywood producer told him he’d ‘never work again.’ This came after successful roles in films like the Academy Award-winning A Beautiful Mind and the popular The Da Vinci Code.

He shared the story on BBC Radio 2 with Gary Davies, explaining that things were going well in his career when he’d declined a film role. Around the same time, his son was born, and he believes the producer was upset about both events.

Paul harshly criticized the producer, calling him a ruthless ‘apex predator,’ and demanded he be more respectful. Despite his strong words, Paul then walked away visibly shaken, worried the producer might actually be correct in his assessment.

I was sitting somewhere – I believe it was on Sunset Boulevard – when my phone rang. It was Joss Whedon, the director of The Avengers, and he offered me the role of Vision. I immediately accepted.

Although Paul didn’t go back to speak with the producer, he confessed to yelling at the building after receiving the good news.

Paul Bettany and his wife, Jennifer Connelly, have three children: 27-year-old Kai from a previous relationship, and their two children together, 22-year-old Stellan and 14-year-old Agnes.

In the 2018 film Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos (played by Josh Brolin) killed Vision to obtain the Mind Stone. This allowed Thanos to complete his Infinity Gauntlet and snap his fingers, causing half of all life in the universe to disappear.

Paul Bettany played two versions of his character, ‘Ghost’ Vision and ‘White’ Vision, in the Disney+ series WandaVision (2021) and the upcoming film VisionQuest (2026).

Chris Evans has unexpectedly returned to his role as Captain America, appearing in a new trailer for the upcoming film, Avengers: Doomsday.

For over a year, there have been rumors that the 44-year-old actor would reprise his role as the superhero, even though his character was previously removed from the storyline. These rumors were confirmed last week with the release of a short video clip.

As a huge Captain America fan, I was thrilled to see Chris Evans reprise his role as Steve Rogers! But the biggest surprise for me in the new trailer wasn’t just his return – it was seeing him holding a baby and smiling at the very end. It was such a heartwarming moment!

As a huge fan, I have to admit, seeing him in the trailer was a bit of a shock! We all thought Captain America’s story ended beautifully with Endgame – he finally got to be with Peggy Carter, living out his life in the past after returning the Infinity Stones. It felt like a perfect, definitive ending, so seeing him now raises a lot of questions!

Steve Rogers returns as an older man to hand off his famous Captain America shield – and the Captain America title – to Sam Wilson, also known as The Falcon (Anthony Mackie).

Despite everything, the short preview suggests he’ll be back as Captain America, as the clip showed him looking at his costume.

Chris Evans portrayed Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) from the 2011 film Captain America: The First Avenger through Avengers: Endgame in 2019.

According to The Wrap, rumors surfaced in December 2024 suggesting he’d unexpectedly appear in the studio’s big crossover film, scheduled for release in 2026.

The publication initially reported that Chris Evans would return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Avengers: Doomsday in an unspecified role. This came after his recent appearance as Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in Deadpool & Wolverine, leaving fans unsure what part he’d play in the Avengers film.

Chris Evans isn’t the only familiar face returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’ll be joined by Robert Downey Jr., age 60, who will play the villain Doctor Doom in the upcoming movie, Doomsday.

As a huge Marvel fan, I was absolutely thrilled to hear that Robert Downey Jr. – the actor who basically launched the MCU with Iron Man back in 2008 and carried us all the way through to Endgame in 2019 – is coming back! The announcement at San Diego Comic Con in July 2024 was incredible. Not only is he going to be the next major villain, but the Russo brothers, who directed some of my favorite Marvel films, are returning to direct the movie, which they’re calling ‘Doomsday’! It’s going to be epic!

Following his reveal as the next major villain in the series, Robert Downey Jr. shared how Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige approached him and his wife, Susan Downey, with the opportunity to play Doctor Doom.

In an interview on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast last year, he remembered a conversation with Kevin Feige. Feige had mentioned the possibility of a return, prompting his wife, Susan, to ask, “Come back as what?”

Honestly, it just hit both of us eventually – another thing that completely solidifies it for me. Like, there was never any question in my mind, but this just proves everyone else wrong. He’s just… incredible, you know? Every single thing he does just reinforces how amazing he is. It’s just undeniable at this point.

Feige is a remarkably insightful and creative strategist, constantly focused on how to avoid setbacks, meet high expectations, and consistently exceed them.

He mentioned Doctor Doom, and when I researched the character, I was really impressed. Later, he emphasized the importance of portraying Doctor Doom accurately, saying, “Let’s make sure we get this character right.”

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2025-12-29 17:04