Marvel Just Won At Everything

Even though it's not quite Halloween just yet, DC Entertainment must be absolutely terrified right about now.

In a fan event Tuesday, Marvel Studios unveiled Phase 3 of its Marvel Cinematic Universe, announcing a mind-boggling slate of movies through 2019. The expansive lineup includes Thor: Ragnarok, Captain America: Civil War, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Dr. Strange, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, The Inhumans and a two-part Avengers sequel, Infinity War. 

Hearing about any one of these projects would be reason to celebrate, but Marvel Studios has gone ahead and dropped all of the nerd bombs in its arsenal, all at once. We're not just fortunate, True Believers. We're spoiled.

For all of the latest on The House of Ideas' blockbuster announcements, head over to Marvel.com.

The First 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' Trailer is the Best Thing You'll See Today

Man, it's a good thing I took the day off work. After the trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron leaked online, a move Marvel blamed on the villainous Hydra organization, The House of Ideas gave us the official teaser along with an all-new poster for the anticipated sequel. I can't stop watching it.

The teaser gives us our first true glimpse of the titular baddie in action (voiced to perfection by James Spader), and manages to make Pinocchio incredibly creepy.


Here are five things I absolutely love about this clip.

1) The use of "I've Got No Strings" throughout the teaser is corporate synergy at its best.
2) We're finally getting Hulkbuster armor and it looks fantastic.
3) This thing is going to be much darker than the relatively cheery first Avengers film.
4) Ultron looks like he might become my favorite superhero movie villain.
5) Since Tony Stark is the Gepetto to Ultron's Pinocchio, there's no way the story wraps up nicely. This movie is going to change everything for Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Marvel's Avengers 2: Age of Ultron hits theaters May 1, 2015.

On Wars, Both Secret and Civil

We're just days removed from New York Comic Con, and geeks are all abuzz about several developments coming out of Marvel, namely that The House of Ideas is not only bringing us an all-new Secret Wars event next summer, but that 2015 will also see the release of another Civil War series. Whether the two events will occur simultaneously remains to be seen.

I was mere months old when Marvel launched its first Secret Wars crossover in 1984, so the announcement didn't necessarily bring about any pangs of nostalgia (even though I do thumb through my softcover trade paperback of that campy "all the good guys vs. all the bad guys" yarn every now and then), but the Civil War revelation is another story entirely.

Civil War, Marvel's politically-charged tale about a rift in its superhero community, kicked off in July 2006, a time when the idea of an Iron Man film seemed laughable while Spider-Man 3 was poised to be the biggest comic book movie of all time. I started working in Manhattan that fall, and my office was right between Midtown Comics' Lexington Ave. and Times Square locations. I hadn't been a regular consumer at a comic book store since the mid-1990s, when locales like The Dragon's Den in Greenwich, Conn., and The Spider's Web in downtown Port Chester, N.Y., served as nerdy refuges before superheroes were "in." With so many comic book stores in my area shuttering in the wake of the industry's 1990s boom period, I wound up getting my fix from the limited selection of new titles at bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Borders before my interest in the medium reached a low point in my teens. A chance lunch hour visit to Midtown Comics changed all that. I immediately gravitated toward Civil War and its numerous spin-offs. I was hooked again.

Although the bleak tone of the Civil War miniseries wasn't for everybody, the tight narrative by Mark Millar and the striking artwork by Steve McNiven kept me enthralled during my Metro-North commutes, and I was genuinely heartbroken when Captain America was assassinated after the series' conclusion the following year. My fandom only grew from there, and I went on to amass countless single issues and trades from Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image and just about anything else that I could get my hands on. Now, I'm a weekly regular at my local comic book store (A Timeless Journey in Stamford, Conn.) and my collection of current series and back-issues getting out of hand, to put it lightly. And it's all because of Civil War, for better or for worse.

Eight years later, Marvel is revisiting Civil War, with a teaser image that's evocative of the original. With rumors of a Marvel Comics reboot and recent speculation about how the Civil War storyline might be adapted in a future Captain America or Avengers film, there's lots for geeks to debate and wonder about. I'm proudly standing among them.

'Entertainment Weekly' Unveils 'Avengers 2' Villain

Just in time for San Diego's Comic-Con International, Entertainment Weekly has debuted their latest cover featuring Iron Man, Captain America and their titular adversary in Avengers: Age of Ultron. As we've come to expect from the folks at Marvel Studios, Ultron and his minions look as they should, and I dig Steve Rogers' updated suit as well. Tony Stark's Iron Man armor looks pretty similar to what we saw in Iron Man 3, which is by no means a bad thing. If it ain't broke ...

Check out a preview of Entertainment Weekly's cover story and view exclusive photos from Age of Ultron by clicking here.

The Buy Pile for Oct. 2, 2013

Tonight marks the conclusion of my first vacation in more than a year — seven days of comic books, horror movies, Breaking Bad binge sessions and excessive amounts of Grand Theft Auto V. I know many of you are sucking your teeth at me for not taking this opportunity to do some traveling, but I had business to take care of in Los Santos … Paris can wait.

My regular Wednesday trip to Stamford, Conn.’s A Timeless Journey netted me a relatively light haul, but that doesn’t mean I was in any way disappointed with this week’s new offerings. Marvel’s “Battle of the Atom” still has me hooked despite the time-travel weirdness, and there’s definite promise in DC’s Forever Evil book, which hints at big things to come next month. I’m also thoroughly entertained by Glen Brunswick’s Reality Check over at Image Comics, which released its second issue this week.

Here’s a rundown of what I’m bagging and boarding this evening:

• Captain America: Living Legend #1 (Marvel)
• All-New X-Men #17 (Marvel)
• Iron Man #16 (Marvel)
• Batman: Detective Comics #24 (DC)
• Batman: Black and White #2 (DC)
• Forever Evil #2 (DC)
• Reality Check #2 (Image)

Three Reasons to Love 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'

The geek community is buzzing following the debut of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. this week, and, shockingly, we’re all more than okay with the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s move to the small screen. Already, there’s rampant speculation about how the series will tie into future Marvel Studios films — namely The Avengers: Age of Ultron — and there’s even talk of a spinoff starring Steve Rogers’ World War II-era sweetheart Agent Carter.

But why are we so enraptured by Joss Whedon’s latest jaunt in Marvel Universe? Here are three reasons we’ve become True Believers after just one episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

1) It’s not Heroes
During the first few moments of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., a super-powered dad saves a woman from a burning apartment building, a feat that attracts media attention and earns him the moniker of “The Hooded Hero.”

Wow! Regular people as super heroes! Cool, right? What if that happened!?

Ugh.

Fortunately, the show soon proved that it isn’t a retread of the facepalm-worthy Heroes, which gives us all the more reason to care about it for more than one season.

2) It rewards those of us who have been paying attention
Like any good comic book series, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. assumes you’re caught up on the mythology, and if you aren’t, well, that’s your fault. Right off the bat, the show tosses out several references to Loki, the Chitauri, the Battle of New York and Extremis, refusing to lag behind for those of you who’ve better things to do than put Thor in your Netflix queue. Heimdall frowns on your shenanigans.

3) Agent Coulson
Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson has garnered a deserving cult fanbase since his first appearance in 2008’s Iron Man, which made his death in The Avengers one of those weird cultural touchstones for us geeks … like when Brett Ratner tried to murder the X-Men back in 2006.

The promos for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. promised Coulson’s return, rallying Marvelites around the #CoulsonLives hashtag. The how and why of the situation were kinda-sorta explained in the pilot. Now, it seems, the rumors of Agent Coulson’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Or have they? The nature of this character’s apparent survival will no doubt unravel over time, giving the series a fascinating thread that will have a lasting effect on the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward. And that’s pretty damn cool.

The Buy Pile for Aug. 7, 2013

Happy Wednesday, Wortmaniacs! How’s your week going?

Oh, wow. That bad, huh? Well, if it makes you feel any better, there’s a slew of new comics that just hit the racks, so that should help you get through the next couple of days … unless you’re not into comics at all, in which case you’re probably here by accident and stopped reading at “Wortmaniacs.” So why am I still talking to you? This is awkward.

Anyhow, below is a list of what I’ll be reading tonight whenever I’m not completely distracted by Shark Week on Discovery. I really like the bitey parts.

• Iron Man #14
• All-New X-Men #5
• Deadpool Kills Deadpool #2
• Detective Comics #23
• Green Lantern #23

The Buy Pile for July 7, 2013

Another Independence Day weekend is in the books and, hopefully, you all made it through your BBQ festivities with your fingers and your dignity intact.

In terms of comics, these are books I actually picked up on Friday, but the last three days haven’t been all that conducive to blogging. Here’s what I was reading when I wasn’t grilling, chilling, avoiding a sunburn or concocting inappropriate lyrics to popular songs around a bonfire.

• Iron Man #12
• Daredevil #27
• Legends of the Dark Knight #10
• Detective Comics #22
• Green Lantern #22

Even though I haven’t been reading the series in its original digital form, Legends of the Dark Knight could very well be my favorite book coming out of Marvel and DC right now. Since so many mainstream titles dole out larger story arcs across multiple issues, it’s refreshing to get these self-contained Batman stories that aren’t tied to the current “New 52” continuity.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for me to do some shopping. Stay nerdy!

‘Iron Man 3’ Reviewed

“It could have been worse.”

Seeing as how I’ve been eagerly anticipating Shane Black’s Iron Man 3 since the credits rolled during my first viewing of Marvel’s The Avengers, this was not how I expected to feel when I walked out of the theater in the early hours of May 3, 2013. Yet, in the aftermath of a film that seemingly wraps up the Iron Man story at least in terms of solo outings, I couldn’t help but experience a tinge of disappointment, marking the very first time I’ve been let down by a Marvel Studios film.

Now, Iron Man 3 isn’t a bad film by any means. Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) took some calculated risks in crafting a film that had zero chance of providing the visceral crowd-pleasing thrills of Joss Whedon’s Avengers flick, and actually gave us the most ambitious Marvel Studios film to date at least from a storytelling perspective. Yet, in taking so many bold steps away from the comfortable conventions of the superhero genre, Iron Man 3 trips and stumbles more than once during its 130-minute running time.

So what’s Iron Man 3 about? Without giving too much away (I’ll let the rest of the Internet ruin the twists for you), Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is a mess after the events of The Avengers, which is pretty understandable. After all, saving New York City from thousands of invading aliens isn’t something you shrug off over time, even if you happen to be a billionaire industrialist/superhero. On top of his post-traumatic stress and frequent anxiety attacks, Tony must grapple with new threats, namely a terrorist calling himself The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) and a series of bombings linked to a body-hacking technology called Extremis.

Iron Man 3 borrows heavily from Matt Fraction’s early run on The Invincible Iron Man and is loosely based on Warren Ellis’ acclaimed Extremis mini-series, but the film is seldom interested in honoring the source material. In fact, there are points at which Iron Man 3 actively trolls the core audience, resulting in the fan outrage typically reserved for Michael Bay films. Again, I won’t spoil any surprises, but at least one major Marvel villain is criminally marginalized.

One of Iron Man 3’s worst transgressions is the treatment of Stark as a character. Anxiety attacks aside, Tony has transformed from well-meaning but self-absorbed genius to absent-minded douchebag. At one key point in the film, Tony bafflingly puts his girlfriend Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) at risk by revealing his home address to the worldwide media and goading The Mandarin into a showdown at his cliffside mansion in Malibu. When the bad guys send your house tumbling into the Pacific Ocean and nearly murder your girlfriend with a barrage of missiles, that’s on you, pal.

Downey is great as always, as are series regulars Paltrow and Don Cheadle, who gets a lot more to do this time around as Tony’s armored ally War Machine, rebranded by the government as "The Iron Patriot.” Kingsley shares villaining duties with Guy Pearce as Tony’s professional rival Aldrich Killian, while the lovely Rebecca Hall joins Paltrow in the mostly-male cast as Maya Hansen, creator of the Extremis technology and one of Tony’s former flings. Another standout in the cast is Ty Simpkin, who becomes Tony’s unexpected pre-teen sidekick for a sizable portion of the film. It takes some acting chops to trade sarcastic barbs with Downey while somehow sidestepping the whole “annoying kid sidekick” issue.

However, not even a strong cast and impressive performances all around could save Iron Man 3 from being an exoskeletal shell of a blockbuster — a schizophrenic and sometimes ponderous piece of popcorn cinema that doesn’t realize its true calling as an Iron Man sequel until the rousing CGI-fueled third act. For all the risks Black and writer Drew Pearce take, the end result just doesn’t come close to matching the passion or the energy that former Iron Man helmer Jon Favreau brought to the series in the previous installments.

Also noticeable are the massive plot holes in Iron Man 3, mostly because the previous films in this continuity seemed to go out of their way to acknowledge the other Marvel heavy hitters inhabiting the world. Where is S.H.I.E.L.D. when the U.S. president is in danger? Wouldn’t Captain America be working alongside The Iron Patriot to take down The Mandarin? Save for a few mentions of the other Avengers team members and a post-credits cameo by one of them, Iron Man 3 largely ignores the interconnectivity that makes the Marvel Cinematic Universe so unique. Also, anyone looking for hints about future Marvel Studios flicks — namely next summer’s Guardians of the Galaxy — will have to wait until Thor: The Dark World hits theaters this fall. There are none to be found in this movie.

Will you like Iron Man 3? You might, assuming you forget how much fun the groundbreaking 2008 original film and its and the flawed-but-enjoyable 2010 sequel were. However, if this is the final film in the Iron Man series, Tony Stark deserved a much better denouement than this.

‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ TV Show Gets the Green Light!

Remember how excited we were when we learned that Avengers director Joss Whedon was working on a TV series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Remember how we all hoped it would focus on the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, mercifully shortened to S.H.I.E.L.D.? Well, as confirmed by the Los Angeles Times and a host of other multimedia outlets this week, the top-secret government group headed by Agent Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson in the films) will be coming to ABC.

Although Whedon will co-write the pilot for S.H.I.E.L.D., he is not its showrunner. Given the fact that he’ll be wrangling Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, The Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye and other Marvel luminaries in the Avengers sequel – set for release in 2015 – it’s safe to say he’ll have his hands full.

Since the series will revolve around S.H.I.E.L.D. and its agents, it’s unlikely the films’ superheroic heavy hitters will be appearing very often if at all (fingers crossed for at least a handful of Nick Fury cameos). However, it’s entirely likely that we’ll be seeing plenty of Agent Maria Hill, played by How I Met Your Mother star Cobie Smulders.  If you saw how amazingly she filled out a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform in The Avengers, you know how awesome this is.

Depending on where this series is set chronologically in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we could also see Clark Gregg return as fan-favorite Agent Coulson. If it takes place after The Avengers, well, that could prove difficult.

For more on the S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series, head over to the L.A. Times website by clicking here.

‘Avengers’ Sequel Gets a Release Date

Marvel.com has confirmed that the Joss Whedon-helmed sequel to this summer’s blockbuster smash, Marvel’s The Avengers, will be hitting theaters on May 1, 2015.

The website also stated the following in the announcement:

“In addition to the Marvel's The Avengers sequel, Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including Iron Man 3 on May 3, 2013; Thor: The Dark World on November 8, 2013; Captain America: The Winter Soldier on April 4, 2014; Guardians of the Galaxy on August 1, 2014; and Ant-Man.”

Looks like lots of cool Marvel Studios goodness is on the horizon. For more info on Marvel Studios’ upcoming crop of films, head over to Marvel.com.

Joss Whedon to Return for ‘Avengers’ Sequel

Whedonites rejoice! As confirmed by Walt Disney executives during a conference call earlier this week, geek icon Joss Whedon will once again direct Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the sequel to this summer’s runaway blockbuster The Avengers. The Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly helmsman is also working with Marvel Studios and Disney to bring an unnamed “high-concept cop show” set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to ABC.

Whedon will be hard-pressed to top his first go-around with Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Incredible Hulk and the rest of the gang, but one of the main things he accomplished with that first Avengers film was inspire confidence among all of us True Believers out there. Not only has Marvel Studios been steadfast in putting out the best superhero films possible, but they’re hiring the best storytellers possible to keep that momentum going for years to come.

For more on this story, head over to MTV News.

Five Reasons Why ‘The Avengers’ Blew Me Away

 It’s redundant to point out that director Joss Whedon knocked it out of the park with Marvel’s The Avengers, with bloggers, critics, comic book geeks and general audience members gushing vocally band unabashedly about the massively ambitious superhero team-up flick. Yet, even though you all have probably figured out that I join the vocal majority in loving the hell out of The Avengers, I still feel compelled to extol the film’s many virtues here on The Wort Report. Therefore, here are five specific reasons why The Avengers made for the most satisfying theatrical experience I’ve had in years.

1) Joss Whedon Kept it Simple
Let’s face it: Bringing together Captain America, Thor, Iron Man and The Hulk onscreen has all the makings for a cinematic disaster. Despite the fact that each of these characters’ solo adventures took place in a shared universe, Whedon was tasked with a lot of heavy lifting in bringing all of these heroes together as a team and giving them a reason to stand together. As complicated as this film could have been—essentially weaving four separate mythologies into a singularly coherent narrative—Whedon told a relatively simplistic alien invasion/take-over-the-world story with Thor’s brother Loki as the antagonist. Loki’s presence on Earth shakes things up, prompting S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to call together Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to quell his plans for world domination and save the day. That’s about as complicated as the core plot gets.

Because the actual story wastes so little time unraveling itself, we’re allowed to enjoy Cap/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Iron Man/Tony Stark try to figure out how they’re going to work together as a team despite their clashing egos. We’re also given the opportunity to see Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) –both of whom had minor roles in previous Marvel Studios films—flex their muscles as they share the screen with their more iconic team members as they fend off Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his enlisted alien army known as the Chitauri.

2) The Hulk Steals the Show
Talk to anyone as they’re walking out of a screening of The Avengers and the first thing out of their mouth will probably involve the words “Hulk,” “awesome” and an enthusiastic expletive or two. Bruce Banner has been a character that, for whatever reason, has never worked in a feature-length production…until now. Ruffalo is an example of perfect casting, making all of us (hopefully) forget about Eric Bana’s dull portrayal of Banner in Ang Lee’s Hulk and Ed Norton’s wiry, angsty and decidedly not nerdy Banner in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk—the character’s introduction in the Marvel Studios canon. Ruffalo’s Banner is tortured, sure, but he’s also got a dark sense of humor about the monster living inside him and that’s refreshing.

And when he transforms? Damn. The Hulk is amazingly fun to watch during the film’s final battle and, without spoiling anything, he’s responsible for two of the film’s best comedic moments. Ruffalo is reportedly signed on for six future films in the cinematic Marvel Universe, which means we’ll be getting plenty more of this version of Banner/Hulk. Let’s hope other filmmakers follow Whedon’s example and continue doing this character justice.

3) The Post-Credits Sequences Pay Off (in Different Ways)
Ever since the “Avengers Initiative” was unveiled in a post-credits sequence in Iron Man back in 2008, it’s become tradition for Marvel Studios to reward fans with the fortitude (and bladder control) to remain seated once their films have ended. In this case, we get an exciting glimpse at where this franchise is headed as well as one of the most hilariously “Whedon-esque” sequences in the film.

4) The Final Battle is Full of “Wow” Moments That Give Each Avenger Time to Shine
Once Loki uses the Tesseract (Cosmic Cube) to open a portal that unleashes swarms of Chitauri upon Midtown Manhattan, The Avengers jumps into high gear as we get to see Earth’s Mightiest Heroes kick all kinds of extraterrestrial ass. You never really get the sense that these characters are in any real danger, but thanks to some great visual effects and some really inventive action beats, the battle’s still a blast to watch. Plus, it’s also home to those two Hulk moments I mentioned earlier.

5) There’s Much More to Come
This franchise is already six films in and we’ve barely scratched the surface. Along with a confirmed sequel to The Avengers, we can also look forward to Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Captain America 2 and logically, considering the overwhelmingly positive response to The Hulk in this film, another solo outing for Ol’ Jade Jaws as well. Although it’d be presumptuous to say that The Avengers will own the summer of 2012—it’s barely even begun, after all—I  think it’s safe to say that Marvel Studios has cornered the market on superhero films for the foreseeable future...and this is a good thing.

‘Avengers’ Assembles!

With Marvel Studios’ Thor getting glowing early reviews leading up to its May 6th release date, we’re officially allowed to start really geeking out about next Summer’s The Avengers, Joss Whedon’s ambitions Marvel team-up flick featuring the aforementioned Asgardian hammer-wielder, Captain America (whose solo film hits screens in July), the Hulk and Iron Man. As reported by Entertainment Weekly, the anticipated ensemble flick—long believed to be unfilmable—has begun principal photography in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Other shooting locations include Cleveland and New York City.

Here’s what we know so far. Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. will be returning as Thor, Cap and Iron Man respectively, while Mark Ruffalo steps in for Ed Norton as Bruce Banner/Hulk. Tom Hiddleston, who plays Thor’s devious brother Loki, is also set to reprise his Marvel Studios role, as are Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Stellan Skarsgard (Professor Eric Selvig) Samuel L. Jackson (Agent Nick Fury) and Clark Gregg (Agent Phil Coulson).

Newcomers to this veritable cinematic Merry Marvel Marching Society include How I Met Your Mother Star Cobie Smulders as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) as Hawkeye. It should be noted that Renner reportedly has a cameo in Thor, so keep an eye out for him. Get it? Because…nevermind.

Head over to EW.com to check out an exclusive set photo from the first day of filming, which gives us a glimpse of the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo as it appears in the film.

Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige Discusses the Film Future of the Marvel Universe

In anticipation of Thor’s May 6 theatrical release, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige told Disney twenty-three magazine that the cinematic Marvel Universe will continue to expand after next summer’s Avengers team-up flick.

In addition to Iron Man 3, which will be helmed by Kiss Kiss Bang Bang director Shane Black, Marvelites can look forward to more superhero solo outings in the years ahead.

“Thor will go off into a new adventure, and Captain America will continue to explore the modern world in another film of his own,” Feige told the quarterly publication of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, which hits stands May 3. Beginning with The Avengers, all Marvel Studios-produced films will be released by Disney.

He continued, “We hope that holds true for the characters appearing in that film—Black Widow, Hawkeye, and the spy organization, S.H.I.E.L.D—all of whom are more than worthy and capable of carrying their own films. And, we’ve got a lot of other characters we’re prepping and getting ready for film debuts: the world of martial arts, these great cosmic space fantasies, Dr. Strange, and the magic side of the Marvel Universe. There are many, many stories to be mined.”

Awesome. Let’s just hope quality isn’t compromised with so many Marvel films on the agenda. To read more about the future of the cinematic Marvel Universe, head over to IGN.

Shane Black Expected to Direct 'Iron Man 3'

Deadline.com is reporting that Kiss Kiss Bang Bang director Shane Black is in final negotiations with Marvel Studios to helm Iron Man 3 after franchise director Jon Favreau dropped out of project to focus his efforts on Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

Black is a notable choice in that he revived Robert Downey Jr.’s career with Kiss Kiss in 2005. Three years later, the formerly-troubled actor stepped inside Tony Stark’s gold-and-crimson armor for the first time, successfully making the transition to bonafide action star.

Like many fans of this series, I was disheartened when I learned Favreau would not be coming back, as I feel he really nailed the nuances of the character in the first two films. Having said that, it will be interesting to see Black and Downey Jr. team up once again.

Iron Man 3 is slated for release on May 3, 2013—nearly one year to the day after Ol’ Shellhead teams with Captain America, Thor, Hulk and other Marvel icons in Joss Whedon’s The Avengers.

Could the Hulk Be the Villain in the Avengers Movie?

Personally, I think it’s essential that Marvel Studios’ upcoming Avengers film feature the Hulk in some capacity. But in a recent interview with MTV News, Incredible Hulk star Edward Norton seemed pretty excited about the possibility of ol’ Jade Jaws squaring off against Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and other Marvel luminaries as a villain in the team-up film. Not a bad angle, to be honest.

“In the comics, there was always a tension between the rest of the superhero community and he was always this problem,” said Norton, a longtime comic book fan. “I think that’s a fun way to go with it.”

The Avengers hits theaters in 2012.

Stark Raving Mad: Iron Man Steals the Show at Comic-Con

Based on the exhaustive Internet coverage of last weekend’s Comic-Con International, those of us who couldn’t make it to San Diego really didn’t miss out on all that much as far as movies go. James Cameron screened footage of his mysterious 3D sci-fi epic Avatar, while some fans caught a glimpse of Tron Legacy, the long-awaited sequel to Disney’s 1982 cult classic starring Jeff Bridges. In addition, Twilight enthusiasts were treated to two scenes from New Moon, which hits theaters November 20. Nothing all that groundbreaking or unexpected.

But the big news coming out of the con is that Jon Favreau’s Iron Man 2 is shaping up to be every bit as awesome as its 2007 predecessor, and that comic book geeks have plenty to look forward to as we near its May 7, 2010 release date.

Favreau and stars Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow) and Don Cheadle (Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes) were on hand to premiere about five minutes of footage from the anticipated film, which showcased Samuel L. Jackson reprising his role as Nick Fury and Johansson slinking around as the sexy Russian spy. Fans also saw Mickey Rourke wreak havoc as the evil Ivan Vanko/Whiplash as well as shots of Rhodey suited up as the fan-favorite War Machine.

But Iron Mania certainly isn’t limited to the live-action film these days. Marvel Animation/Madhouse unveiled a trailer at Comic-Con for the upcoming Marvel Anime: Iron Man, penned by acclaimed comic book scribe and novelist Warren Ellis. Check out the clip below, and be sure to pick your jaw up off the floor when you’re done.