Thaindian News

James McAvoy’s boyish innocence ironically lands him the role of a superhuman assassin. Robert Downey Jr commanded our attention and swept the box-office collection as Iron Man. And now, James McAvoy is touted to be the next action star in the graphic-novel-turned-movie, Wanted. He played the doe-eyed soldier accused of rape in the tragic-romance drama Atonement.

McAvoy the role as Wesley Gibson – the 25-year-old office worker who has nothing going for him until he is scooped up by a secret society, called The Fraternity, and trained to be a top-notch assassin in Wanted which also stars Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, Thomas Kretschmann, Common and Terence Stamp.

Bekmambetov added that another reason he cast McAvoy in the lead role was because he felt that the Scottish actor is someone the audience is able to identify with.

McAvoy was surprised when he was approached for this role but nonetheless happy as he is usually attracted to roles of the underdog. “I’m not used to seeing someone like myself in these roles. As a movie lover, I do complain that I’m fed up of seeing 6′ 5″ alpha males in these roles.”

He had to audition and do a couple of screen tests for the role and waited for half-a-year before he was offered the part. So, the first thing on the card when McAvoy accepted this role was to bulk up his frame. He had to spend hours in the gym with a personal trainer practicing kickboxing and fight training … something McAvoy loathed. “I rather eat dog poo than go to the gym,” he joked.

For his new role he is training in the gym. McAvoy was given 50 to 60 percent of his own stunts. “I prefer those fights to the gunfights actually. There’s nothing better than seeing two people physically touch each other,” he said. “I never broke a single thing. I had a couple of sprains and a couple of twisted knees and ankles but nothing more than I’d get playing football.”