Her name has been in the mix for a little while now (alongside chatter about Mia Wasikowska and the lesser known Zoe Aggeliki), but it appears that Sucker Punch’s Jena Malone is now in active talks to take the role of Johanna Mason in Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Malone has been offered the role and is in early negotiations to play the axe-wielding District 7 winner whose withering sarcasm is almost as sharp has her weapons.

While she is at first a scathing opponent of Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), she ends up becoming a valuable ally in their struggle against the evil President Snow. And she’ll be hitting the gym, because her first act is stripping out of her costume to try to throw Katniss off before entering the arena for the 75th Games.

Assuming she signs on, Malone will most likely sign a contract to appear in the third movie, Mockingjay, as Johanna plays a small but vital role in that book.

Francis Lawrence is directing the new movie, and kicks off shooting in September ready for a November 22, 2013 release date.