Hugo Weaving Doesn't Want To Reprise Red Skull In Future Marvel Films
Part of the reason why the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been so successful is foresight. When signing up an actor to play a role, the studio requires they sign a multi-picture deal so the characters can appear not only in their own movies, but others as well. It's how films like The Avengers are possible with the same actors. Unfortunately, it's not something all the actors are exactly comfortable with, according to Hugo Weaving.
Weaving, who played the Red Skull in Joe Johnston's 2011 film Captain America: The First Avenger, said he doesn't want to reprise the character if he can avoid it. He did acknowlege, however, that he signed a contract and if he was asked to do so – in either Captain America: The Winter Soldier or The Avengers 2 – he would. Read his quote after the jump.
Weaving said the following to Collider at the recent junket for Cloud Atlas:
I [signed a multi-picture deal] for Captain America. I think the tendency, with those films, would be to probably not bring a villain back. They might for The Avengers, but I didn't think I'd be in Captain America 2 or 3. I don't think Red Skull will be there. And it's not something I would want to do again. I'm glad I did it. I did sign up for a number of pictures and I suppose, contractually, I would be obliged to, if they forced me to, but they wouldn't want to force someone to do it, if they didn't want to. I think I've done my dash with that sort of film. It was good to do it and try it out, but to be honest, it's not the sort of film I seek out and really am excited by. As an actor, to do all sorts of different films is great. It stretches you in different ways. But, I increasingly like to go back to what I used to always do, which is to get involved with projects that I really have a personal affiliation with.
Sounds like Weaving isn't much of a comic book fan, no?
Originally there was a rumor that the Red Skull was going to be the villain in The Avengers but, obviously, that didn't happen. And with new enemies already populating all the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase Two (Mandarin, Malekith, Winter Solider and Thanos) it's unlikely he'll be needed. But the character by nature has an almost supernatural air about him and could easily be written back in. I'd be very surprised if, at some point down the road, the Red Skull didn't appear at least one more time in some way.
Do you blame Weaving for this sentiment? Is there anyway the Red Skull could be shoehorned back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe following his fate at the end of The First Avenger?