section_path: Acting career/2010–present
section_name: 2010–present
paragraph_text: 2010–present
  
  In 2010, Rourke played the role of the main villain Whiplash in the film Iron Man 2. In an interview with New Zealand magazine Rip It Up magazine he revealed that he prepared for the role by visiting Russian jail inmates. In 2011, he portrayed the villainous King Hyperion in Immortals and received praise for his performance, while the film received mixed-to-positive reviews and became a box office success. He also had a minor role as Tool in Sylvester Stallone 's The Expendables. Though he had little screen time, his performance was met with rave reviews and cited as one of the film's highlights.
  
  Just before the end of the year, he confirmed on a British TV talk show that he would play Gareth Thomas in an upcoming film about the Welsh rugby star who came out as gay the previous year. As of February 2011, he began research on the film, but noted, "We're not going to make this movie until we've done all the proper research. We need to do our homework and I need to train for from nine to eleven months." In 2011, Rourke was cast in the film Java Heat as an American citizen shadowing terrorist groups in Java, Indonesia. The film was released in 2013. In 2014, he reprised his Marv role from Sin City in the sequel Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.
  
  In 2020, Rourke competed in season four of The Masked Singer as "Gremlin" and sang " Stand by Me " by Ben E. King. After the performance, the Gremlin costume became too hot for him and he ended up unmasking himself before the audience could even vote for their favorite performer.
  
  Rourke starred in the 2020 Canadian-American thriller film Girl in which he played a sheriff. His co-star Bella Thorne accused him of injuring her pelvis instead of hitting her knee caps as intended in the scene and claimed he was uncooperative on set, refusing to speak with crew.
  
  In the 2021 film Man of God, which is on the life of St Nectarios of Aegina, Rourke plays the role of a paralyzed man.
  
  In 2023, he starred in Roman Polanski 's drama film The Palace.
  
  In April 2025, Rourke entered the British version of Celebrity Big Brother to appear as a housemate on its twenty-fourth season. In his first live appearance, he was criticized for an on-air physical action towards the show's co-host AJ Odudu, grabbing her by the waist and making her 'clearly uncomfortable', with some viewers wanting him to be taken off the show. On the third episode of the series, Rourke made openly homophobic and disparaging remarks towards housemate JoJo Siwa, and was subsequently given a formal warning by the show for his conduct. On April 12, it was announced that Rourke had been removed from the house, due to "inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behaviour", this time toward housemates Ella Wise (unwanted sexual remark) and Chris Hughes (aggressive verbal confrontation). As of April 2025, Rourke is planning to sue ITV after only receiving £50,000 of his agreed £500,000 fee.
  
  In 2010, Rourke played the role of the main villain Whiplash in the film Iron Man 2. In an interview with New Zealand magazine Rip It Up magazine he revealed that he prepared for the role by visiting Russian jail inmates. In 2011, he portrayed the villainous King Hyperion in Immortals and received praise for his performance, while the film received mixed-to-positive reviews and became a box office success. He also had a minor role as Tool in Sylvester Stallone 's The Expendables. Though he had little screen time, his performance was met with rave reviews and cited as one of the film's highlights.
  
  Just before the end of the year, he confirmed on a British TV talk show that he would play Gareth Thomas in an upcoming film about the Welsh rugby star who came out as gay the previous year. As of February 2011, he began research on the film, but noted, "We're not going to make this movie until we've done all the proper research. We need to do our homework and I need to train for from nine to eleven months." In 2011, Rourke was cast in the film Java Heat as an American citizen shadowing terrorist groups in Java, Indonesia. The film was released in 2013. In 2014, he reprised his Marv role from Sin City in the sequel Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.
  
  In 2020, Rourke competed in season four of The Masked Singer as "Gremlin" and sang " Stand by Me " by Ben E. King. After the performance, the Gremlin costume became too hot for him and he ended up unmasking himself before the audience could even vote for their favorite performer.
  
  Rourke starred in the 2020 Canadian-American thriller film Girl in which he played a sheriff. His co-star Bella Thorne accused him of injuring her pelvis instead of hitting her knee caps as intended in the scene and claimed he was uncooperative on set, refusing to speak with crew.
  
  In the 2021 film Man of God, which is on the life of St Nectarios of Aegina, Rourke plays the role of a paralyzed man.
  
  In 2023, he starred in Roman Polanski 's drama film The Palace.
  
  In April 2025, Rourke entered the British version of Celebrity Big Brother to appear as a housemate on its twenty-fourth season. In his first live appearance, he was criticized for an on-air physical action towards the show's co-host AJ Odudu, grabbing her by the waist and making her 'clearly uncomfortable', with some viewers wanting him to be taken off the show. On the third episode of the series, Rourke made openly homophobic and disparaging remarks towards housemate JoJo Siwa, and was subsequently given a formal warning by the show for his conduct. On April 12, it was announced that Rourke had been removed from the house, due to "inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behaviour", this time toward housemates Ella Wise (unwanted sexual remark) and Chris Hughes (aggressive verbal confrontation). As of April 2025, Rourke is planning to sue ITV after only receiving £50,000 of his agreed £500,000 fee.