Kenneth Branagh to play villain in his Jack Ryan reboot

Kenneth Branagh will show off his Russian accent in Paramount’s Jack Ryan reboot.

Branagh confirmed his casting in the flick – which he is also set to direct – at a Television Critics Association presentation (reported by Deadline).

He will play a Russian villain to Chris Pine‘s CIA agent, intent on destroying the American economy (seems like the U.S. has already done much of the legwork there).

Branagh described the picture as “an original story that allows us to understand how Jack Ryan, created by Tom Clancy, develops into a CIA analyst before joining, and perhaps even joining, the CIA.”

Despite a Russian antagonist evoking the Cold War era, the movie is set in the current day.

Discuss: Looking forward to this reboot?