Jim Carrey is being courted to play Colonel Stars in <em>Kick Ass 2</em>, perhaps change his career trajectory

News is emerging that Jim Carrey is being considered for a role in the sequel to 2010’s Kick-Ass. While it’s far from official casting news, I have to say that as a fan of both that movie and Jim Carrey, I really want to see this work out. Seriously. If I don’t see Jim Carrey do something awesome soon, it will make me and all of his other devoted fans super, super sad. And who doesn’t want to see him play a cool role in a comic book movie? The last time he did that was in Batman Forever, and believe me when I tell you this: No one wants to remember Batman Forever.

On the other hand, The Mask was based on a Dark Horse comic, culty like Kick-Ass, and that was very well-received. So, we know that Carrey can rock this. Anyway: Kick-Ass 2.

The role Carrey is being courted for is said to be “The Colonel,” or, more likely, Colonel Stars (pictured above) aka Sal Bertolinni, a mobster-turned-good guy — and born-again-Christian — who joins forces with Lieutenant Stripes to form Justice Forever, a league of good guys that extends an invitation to Kick-Ass to join them. They end up having a bit of a run-in with villain Red Mist.

If you, dear readers, could hear me banging my fist on my desk, you’d probably be taken aback by how badly I want to see Jim Carrey do a role like this. There are few concrete details about official talks, but there is this picture of the actor in a Kick-Ass costume, singing with Conan O’Brien (who is wearing a Superman costume). He is said to be a fan of Matthew Vaughn, who directed the first movie, though those reins will be handed to Jeff Wadlow for the sequel. So, this means nothing except that Jim Carrey liked the first movie and the guy who made it, who will have nothing to do with the second one. [Update: Vaughn is still producing. Sorry for the error.] Thank you, Internet. Now you’ve got everyone all excited about nebulous speculation. At least it sounds like Universal — an actual film production studio — really is trying to get Carrey on board with this.

And heavens to Betsy, would I like to see him do that. I’ve been a fan of Jim Carrey since I was 14 years old. That is “this many” years. (I’m holding up an undisclosed amount of fingers, perhaps multiple times.) When you’re a fan of someone for that long, you stick with them, like a sports team. When The Cable Guy came along, I was in the proud minority of satisfied fans. When The Truman Show and Man on the Moon came along, and so did the Oscar talk, I was ecstatic. Then when The Grinch Who Stole Christmas came along, I saw it and felt bad about it. And when The Majestic came along… I didn’t see it. Then there was the hipsterific Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind… and then there was The Number 23, and I just couldn’t anymore. Fast forward to Carrey being web-creepy about Emma Stone, and I’m just upset now. Because I still really am a fan of this guy. (I Love You Phillip Morris was great.)

Carrey has made some incredibly smart cameo and bit appearances in things like Drunk History, 30 Rock, The Office, etc., just popping up in really cool projects, reminding everyone how wonderful it is to see him, then leaving before he wears out his welcome. But we want him to hang out for a while! And a wicked supporting role in a movie like Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall sounds like the best move for Jim Carrey — room for him to be a little over-the-top, silly, strange, still a bit of a softie (like Colonel Stars)… and totally kick-ass.

Jim Carrey courted for ‘Kick-Ass 2’ [Deadline]