Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige and actors Colbie Smulders, Clark Gregg, Tom Hiddelston, Chris Evans and Mark Ruffalo led the panel at the recent New York Comic-Con, delivering some much-needed updates about the ever-growing Marvel superhero-verse (note the sarcasm).
Along with a complete, expository scene in which Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) explains to Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) why he must join The Avengers (to prevent the “destruction of the world” of course!), Feige alluded to Iron Man 3 and how it would serve to further the Marvel world as a whole:
“We’re in preproduction on a movie called ’Iron Man 3’ right now. We’ve got a great director called Shane Black who’s taking the reins.” The man went on to talk about the potential film adaptations of Inhumans and Guardians of the Galaxy, stating: “It’s the first of what we refer to Phase Two of this Avengers Assemble talk, which will lead to an ‘Avengers 2.’ Those movies will be a part of that.”
By this math, “Phase Two” will be significantly larger than Phase One, considering the announced sequels to existing fare like Thor (to be directed by Patty Jenkins for summer 2013 release) and Captain America. There’s also the Doctor Strange adaptation, which has been curiously silent as of late. Last time we checked, Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer – the writers of the abysmal Conan the Barbarian reboot – were providing a script. No doubt a rewrite or 5 is in order via Marvel thanks to the non-performance of Conan.
And while Feige hinted at the film during the NYCC panel (along with a future for The Hulk character on television), it is not included in his macro comments on Phase 2:
“Absolutely [there will be a new line up]. That’s the fun of it — introducing new characters. Seeing how will things change after Iron Man goes through his next adventure? After Thor goes through his next adventure? If we do another Cap adventure, how will things change? The dynamic between them? Their own worlds? So that the dynamic in Avengers 2 is actually quite different than it is in the first one.”
So if you were growing tired of this growing trend of superhero summers, take a sleeping pill. There’s plenty more where that came from.
How do you think the dynamic will change between those who avenge from Feige’s Phase 1 to Phase 2?