Are you confused about the Whiplash character in Iron Man 2? In a recent interview, Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau gave a bit more detailed explanation of the character. While Rourke’s version of Whiplash has the real name of Ivan Vanko and because of the name, most people had assumed that in the film, the Whiplash character will be the son Anton Vanko, the original Crimson Dynamo.

Favreau gives some more clues about the movie’s version of Whiplash.

Favreau said,

“For those of you who know the books, we’re combining some characters in a way that stays true to the books but keeps you guessing a little bit. We combined Whiplash with [Anton] Vanko [aka the Crimson Dynamo].”

Professor Dr. Anton Vanko was the first Crimson Dynamo and was also the creator of the armor, he was a Soviet scientist of Armenian birth and the world’s foremost expert on electricity. He built a suit that was wired up to perform electric miracles, making him a human dynamo.

The Crimson Dynamo battle-suit allowed him to control electricity in all of its forms, allowing him to fire devastating bolts of electricity. It also allowed him to fly.

Favreau tried to calm any worries over liberties taken in creating a hybrid character, saying:

“Any changes won’t be made out of ignorance.”

He added that Rourke had taken the role seriously:

“We informed Mickey that the character had done some time in a Russian prison. The next thing I heard, he was in a Russian prison. He chose to go there.

“Apparently the first American film they got in Russia as a result of perestroika was 9½ Weeks (in which Rourke starred as John Grey), so Mickey is a sex god in Russia.”

[Source] Wizard Magazine