Marvel Studios is moving from one fine actress to another as production gears up soon for their first follow-up to The Avengers, the 2013 tentpole Iron Man 3. While Jessica Chastain recently bowed out of Shane Black‘s upcoming blockbuster due to scheduling issues, Variety reports that Rebecca Hall has quickly filled her place.

The actress, who gave perhaps her biggest turn in Ben Affleck’s The Town, will star alongside Robert Downey Jr., Ben Kingsley, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce as a scientist. She’ll work with geneticist Aldrich Killian (Perace). In the comics, and likely here, he works at a plant called Futurepharm and helps to put the genome-attacking viral creation known as Extremis into the hands of criminals.

Hall is usually excellent, breaking out in The Prestige and then Vicky Cristina Barcelona. This year she’s part of the mega-dud Lay the Favorite with Bruce Willis, but hopefully she quickly makes up for it. Although I’m sure this part is a smaller character, she still deserves the exposure.

Iron Man 3 arrives on May 3, 2013.