Actress Jessica Chastain fired to stardom over the course of the past year with roles in Oscar winner The Help, Oscar nominee The Tree of Life, The Debt, and Take Shelter.

Now the actress is busier than ever having just completed work on Lawless with Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce, Tom Hardy, and Shia LaBeouf, Tar with James Franco, Mila Kunis, Zach Braff, and Bruce Campbell, another Terrence Malick film with Rachel McAdams, Benn Affleck, Michael Sheen, Rachel Weisz, Javier Bardem, Amanda Peet, and Barry Pepper, and a voice acting role in Madagascar 3.

She’s piling up more projects as well, with The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow’s Osama Bin Laden project, titled Zero Dark Thirty, currently filming, and now it appears she could be joining Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man 3.

It’s being reported that the actress is in talks for a role in the superhero trilogy-maker, playing the role of a “sexy scientist” who’s right up there with Tony Stark himself when it comes to brilliance.

Chastain was the first choice for the role but it appeared that, thanks to her ever-growing to-do list, scheduling conflicts wouldn’t allow her to take the job. Other actresses including Gemma Arterton, Diane Kruger, and Isla Fisher were all considered for the part, but a bit of good luck has mad Chastain available once again.

I think most of us can agree that any of these lovely ladies would be perfectly enjoyable additions to the cast, but I will admit: I wouldn’t be at all sad to see Miss Arterton land it if things fall through with Chastain.

Chastain would join fellow newcomers Ben Kingsley, who’s playing a currently unidentified villain, and Guy Pearce, who’s also playing a villain, this one identified to be Dr. Aldrich Killian. Returning cast members include Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine, and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow.

Iron Man 3 will be directed by Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), and is currently scheduled for release on May 3, 2013.

[Source: Deadline]