EMILY BLUNT - EMILY BLUNT IN FRAME TO PLAY IRON MAN 2 TEMPTRESS

EMILY BLUNT IN FRAME TO PLAY IRON MAN 2 TEMPTRESS

British actress Emily Blunt is reportedly in discussions to play a femme fatale in the forthcoming sequel to Iron Man.

The Devil Wears Prada star is in talks to play Black Widow, a character of both heroic and villainous intent in the Marvel comics, according to Variety.

Golden Globe winner Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell have already been lined up for roles in the superhero sequel and now 25-year-old Blunt has been approached by director Jon Favreau, it is believed.

As Marvel Studios have not yet confirmed Blunt's casting, it is currently not known whether her character- Soviet spy Natasha Romanoff - will be a friend to foe to Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark.

Though Black Widow - whose skintight costume is enhanced by sophisticated weaponry - is typically a heroine, her character could be associated with Crimson Dynamo, the Russian character likely to be played by Rourke.

It was revealed last week that The Wrestler star is finalising negotiations to play the heavily-tattooed villain, an arms dealer seen as the evil equivalent to Tony Stark - Iron Man's alter-ego.

Meanwhile Rockwell, recently seen in the Bafta-nominated Frost/Nixon, is in talks to play Justin Hammer, an evil genius and rival industrialist to Stark, it is believed.

Iron Man 2 is due for release in May 2010, with Favreau returning as director and shooting a Justin Theroux script this spring.