MUMBAI: Sir Ben Kingsley is in final negotiations to play for the role of the villain in Marvel Studios‘ Iron Man 3. However, it has been confirmed that the Gandhi star will not play Tony Stark‘s controversial foe The Mandarin.

His character will instead be based on Mallen, a villain enhanced with a nanotech virus. The character appeared in Warren Ellis‘s Extremis storyline, on which the film will be loosely based.
 
Written by Drew Pearce and director Shane Black, Iron Man 3 will see Robert Downey Jr reprise his role as the titular hero.

Kingsley is currently filming Ender‘s Game in which he stars alongside Asa Butterfield, Abigail Breslin and Harrison Ford.