Marvel Star Sam Rockwell Addresses His 11 Year Absence From the MCU

Sam Rockwell shares the same excitement as fans about the potential return of Justin Hammer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Currently promoting “The Bad Guys 2,” Rockwell spoke with ComicBook and expressed his curiosity about rejoining the MCU. Known for his role as Tony Stark’s business rival, arms dealer Justin Hammer in “Iron Man 2,” Rockwell hasn’t appeared in a mainline movie or TV series since then. However, he’s been keeping busy in the years that followed, and as a lover of geek culture, he expressed his desire to return to the MCU. Catch Sam Rockwell in “The Bad Guys 2” in theaters on August 1st, but for the MCU, Rockwell is unsure about when he might reappear.

ComicBook inquired if Rockwell ever grew weary of fielding questions about Justin Hammer and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to which he responded, “To be honest, I’m a fanboy just like everyone else, so no, I don’t.” Regarding his answer, he stated plainly, “I’m just keeping my fingers crossed. Haven’t received the call as of now, but I’m hopeful. I’ve heard they’re filming Avengers at some location. Unfortunately, I’m not there.

In the movie “Iron Man 2”, Justin Hammer played a crucial role, attempting to sabotage Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) success in the weapons industry to boost his own prospects. His plans, though, were outsmarted by Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), which made Hammer appear less menacing but more amusing instead. In 2014, Rockwell returned as Hammer in the short film “All Hail the King”, a bonus feature titled “Marvel One-Shot” that came with the Blu-ray release of “Thor: The Dark World”.

In 2023, Rockwell lent his voice to the animated series “What If…?” Specifically, he played the role of Hammer in Season 2, Episode 3 titled “What If… Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?” During this episode, Hammer launched an attack on Avengers Tower while they were celebrating their annual holiday party. Fans are eager to see more of this character in live-action, and it’s intriguing to imagine him involved in storylines such as the trading of alien artifacts, similar to his role in “Spider-Man: Homecoming”.

Marvel Studios hasn’t disclosed any immediate plans for the character Hammer, but fans are always eager to predict future movie titles. At present, the title that seems most promising is Armor Wars, featuring James Rhodes as War Machine, played by Don Cheadle. The storyline revolves around Rhodey locating Stark tech that’s fallen into harmful hands, which aligns well with Hammer’s character. However, the MCU is known for its cross-overs, so it’s possible Hammer could appear unexpectedly in various projects.

While in the interim, Hammer maintains the same arrogance in “The Bad Guys 2”, hitting cinemas on August 1st. On the other hand, you can stream “Iron Man 2” along with his other Marvel Cinematic Universe films right now on Disney+.

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2025-07-23 01:09