Hugo Weaving Doesn't Want to Play Red Skull Again Unless Contractually Obligated

Hugo Weaving Doesn't Want to Play Red Skull Again Unless Contractually Obligated

Oct 15, 2012

It's always a refreshing treat when an actor actually speaks their mind when doing a press junket. Normally, regardless of the questions asked, their answer ends up turning into a canned response it's clear they've either given or rehearsed 20 times before. And the bigger the star or movie, the more canned the answers become. Unless you're as cool as Hugo Weaving, though. Then you can say whatever the hell you want.

Collider sat down with Weaving recently at the junket for Cloud Atlas (his reteaming with Matrix directors Andy and Lana Wachowski), and he was pretty blunt with his answers to some of the site's questions. Regarding whether or not he'd be voicing Megatron in the new Transformers movie (he voiced him in the first three), he revealed that not only had he never even met Michael Bay in real life (it's not uncommon for directors to handle voice sessions via Skype), but that his initial commitment to Transformers came out of nowhere and that his connection to the material was meaningless. 


But that doesn't mean all of Weaving's Hollywood jobs are meaningless, but even the one's he's attracted to don't necessarily warrant a reprisal. His Red Skull villain is one of the best the Marvel movieverse has seen yet, but even that's a character he'd rather not return to unless they call on the contract he signed for Captain America.


That's got to sting a bit if you're at Marvel right now, right? You're making some of the most beloved and successful films ever made, and yet one of your stars admits it doesn't really excite them. And it's hard to blame Weaving. The man is an incredibly gifted actor whose entire career is filled with unique roles for unique films made by unique filmmakers. The idea of having to play Red Skull whenever Marvel wants to trot out the villain in a sequel (most likely written and directed by a completely different team of filmmakers) probably feels like Hollywood handcuffs to someone who more often than not seems to act for passion and not a paycheck.


Follow along on Twitter: @PeterSHall and @Moviesdotcom.

Categories: Buzz Bin, Geek
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