Jessica Chastain Passes On 'Iron Man 3'

nullJust when it seemed our fave redhead Jessica Chastain was making a play for a big franchise movie, it looks like her ever busy schedule is keeping her out. That's right — Jessica Chastain has turned down a movie.

The actress hit Facebook (via Movieline) to reveal to her fans today that despite earlier reports, she will not be taking part in "Iron Man 3." "Sorry to say that Iron Man 3 isn't going to work out. My schedule is jammed packed and I can't fit anything else in. The press announced my possible attachment far too soon. I know many of you wanted me to be involved, and I'm so sorry to disappoint you. Hopefully there'll be another Marvel film in my future. Shane Black and everyone on the IM3 team are really wonderful. I'm very excited to see the film when it comes out. xx" she wrote. 

There wasn't any word at the time what the exact nature of her role would be except that she would be a "sexy scientist," though many presumed that meant she was playing Maya Hansen, the scientist who works with Guy Pearce's Aldrich Killian to come up with the extremis virus which forms the storyline for the film. Chastain was said to have beaten out Diane Kruger, Gemma Arterton and Isla Fisher for the role, though we suppose this means they are all back in the mix.

As for Chastain, she's currently lensing Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty" and we presume she'll be making a return trip to Cannes to promote John Hillcoat's "Lawless." She's also got the high concept two-part relationship drama "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: His" and "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Hers" brewing, which will find her working opposite Joel Edgerton. So still lots on Chastain's calendar, but "Iron Man 3" won't be one of them.