With buzz on Joss Whedon‘s The Avengers riding high as its currently in UK release, Marvel Studios is still hard at work expanding their universe with future sequels. Next on the docket, before Thor and Captain American follow-ups, is a third Iron Man. With Robert Downey. Jr set to face off against Ben Kingsley, Variety reports another addition to the ensemble.

They let us know that upcoming Prometheus star Guy Pearce, coming off disappointing box-office returns for Lockout, is all but signed for Shane Black‘s Iron Man 3. He’ll be joining the film as geneticist Aldrich Killian. In the comics, he works at a plant called Futurepharm and helps to put the genome-attacking viral creation known as Extremis into the hands of criminals.

Pearce will be joined by Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and Scarlett Johansson in the film that will begin production just next month in North Carolina. Also headed to Cannes with John Hillcoat‘s Lawless, Pearce is one of the finest talents in Hollywood. As long as he continues to balance these big-budget roles with strong character work in his smaller films, we can all be content.

Iron Man 3 hits theaters on May 3rd, 2013.

What do you think about Pearce joining the Marvel universe?