Will Mark Sheppard get a role in Whedon’s Avengers?

Yes, it’s been a few months since the San Diego Comic-Con ended, but I still thought this little story was worth throwing out there. I’ll never know if maybe I was onto something, and then kicking myself later when there was some meat to it and I said nothing.

First, a little background story.

Between the many press rooms and panels I was hopping around to, I decided to take a stroll through the autographing area in the Sails Pavilion. In case you don’t know, this is a HUGE (isn’t everything “huge” at Comic-Con?), windowed, open area that’s a nice break from the dark, dungeon-like germ playgrounds used for panels. Here there are autographing areas, lots of tables (though never enough) for anyone to sit at, and an artist gallery. Many times there are lines of people waiting well ahead of time for their favorite personality to sign something for them, as was the case for a couple of booths when I was walking through. Most of the booths were empty, though there were signs that told of who would be in them and when.

Then I walked by a booth with someone in it: Mark Sheppard. And there was NO line. What the hell?

Actually, the booth had two people in it. Mark was there with his son, and they both looked up at me and smiled as I stopped dead in my tracks. I looked behind me and all around me. Then I approached the table. (That photo, above, was taken after I left — they were not waiting long.)

“Mark. Sheppard. Mark Sheppard?“

“Yes, hello!”

“Am I … is there a line I’m cutting?”

“No no … this is it,” he continued to say with a smile.

“But … no line? For you? But you’re Mark Sheppard!”

“It’s just you!”

“It’s a crime is what it is!”

And then he proceeded to introduce me to his son (for the life of me I can’t remember if it was Max or William), and just talk for a while. Hell, there was no line, and he had set up shop at that table for hours. I won’t bore you with all that we talked about, but since I watched just about every recent show he’d been a guest on (BSG, Leverage, Supernatural, Firefly, and Dollhouse, to name a few), I wasn’t short on words. (Side note: he did say he remembered my old post about him, and confirmed that by noting we use “clique” instead of “click” without my mentioning it.)

However, there is one seemingly passing remark he made — along with a look — when I asked him about whether we’d see him work with Joss Whedon again.

“Well … I certainly wouldn’t mind being in the Avengers movie.”

“Well they haven’t finished casting for that, have they?”

“Don’t think so.” And then he gave this … look. Like a knowing smirk.

“So … are you going to be in it or what?”

“You never know.” Then the knowing smirk again.

“… Come on.” I look to his son and ask, “Can you say anything?” He just throws his hands up and nods.

So, Sheppard’s remark could mean nothing and he was just fucking with me, but what if he was in talks to be cast in The Avengers? What role would he play? My thinking is he’d either be a villain (which he seems to play oh so well), or, I dunno, Captain Britain? Would they put Captain Britain in this early?

So, if news comes out that Mark Sheppard gets cast in The Avengers, I can now sleep at night knowing I was onto it a long time ago. At least I have that.

Clacked by Keith McDuffee
on Oct 29, 2010 @ 12:00 EST5EDT