Iron Man 3

James Badge Dale Joins Iron Man 3 Cast as... a Villain?

One of the first cast members brought on board for Iron Man 3 (besides Robert Downey Jr., of course) was Ben Kingsley, who has been cast as a villain "involved in spreading a virus through nanobots." Some reports at the time claimed that Kingsley would not be the sequel's only villain, and, depending on what you believe about the latest cast addition, those rumors may be valid.

According to Deadline, James Badge Dale has been cast as the villain Savin, though further details are still forthcoming. Variety has speculated on the casting, claiming that Dale will play Eric Savin, a character from the Marvel Universe that eventually becomes the cyborg Coldblood. In the comics, Savin is a soldier in the Army who steps on a landmine and is turned into a cyborg as a result. And though, in the comics, the character fell prey to his cyborg side at times, he was not necessarily considered a villain, nor did he cross paths with Iron Man in the Extremis storyline which is serving as the inspiration for Iron Man 3.

Rebecca Hall Replaces Jessica Chastain in Iron Man 3

Well, that was fast. Just days after Jessica Chastain (The Help) decided to drop out of consideration (again) for a role in the upcoming Iron Man 3, a replacement has already been found.

Deadline reports that British actress Rebecca Hall is in talks to replace Chastain, in a role that was previously described as a "sexy scientist every bit as smart" as Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Interestingly, when Chastain was reportedly offered the role, the other contenders included Isla Fisher, Diane Kruger, and Gemma Arterton, but not Hall.

No Jessica Chastain in Iron Man 3; Ben Kingsley "Thrilled" to Join Sequel

With Iron Man 3 set to start shooting soon, the cast additions to the third installment had some exciting newcomers in Ben Kingsley as a mysterious villain and Guy Pearce as geneticist Aldrich Killian. Most recently, Jessica Chastain was offered (for the second time) a role as a "sexy scientist." Looks like Chastain has had to decline again, as indicated by a message on the actress' Facebook page (via Super Hero Hype).

Sorry to say that Iron Man 3 isn't going to work out. My schedule is jammed packed and I can't fit anything else in. The press announced my possible attachment far too soon. I know many of you wanted me to be involved, and I'm so sorry to disappoint you. Hopefully there'll be another Marvel film in my future. [Director and co-writer] Shane Black and everyone on the IM3 team are really wonderful. I'm very excited to see the film when it comes out. xx

Post-Avengers News: Black Widow's Next Appearance "Already Planned," Robert Downey Jr. Not Quitting Tony Stark Yet

For many team members in the upcoming The Avengers, future installments are already planned. Next year will see Robert Downey Jr. return as Tony Stark in Iron Man 3 and Chris Hemsworth as Thor in Thor 2, while 2014 will see Chris Evans reprise his role as Steve Rogers in Captain America 2. But what about the rest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes?

While Marvel is reportedly opening its mind to the possibility of another Hulk movie, it turns out the studio already knows when Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) will be back. While Johansson won't be in Iron Man 3, she's said that she would like a "Bourne-like" solo outing for the character. In an interview with Movieline, Marvel President of Production Kevin Feige said that the studio has already "planned her next appearance," and it sounds like she will get her own movie yet.

Marvel Could Be Planning Hulk Movie After All, Iron Man 3 the "Antidote" for The Avengers, and Tom Hiddleston Talks Thor 2

Audiences will soon see how writer-director Joss Whedon has done with the character of the Hulk in The Avengers this weekend, but early reviews have been very positive about Whedon's use of the "enormous green rage monster." Mark Ruffalo, the third actor to play the role of Dr. Bruce Banner and the first to play his alter ego in motion capture, recently admitted that he would "love" to make a solo Hulk movie, but Marvel President of Production Kevin Feige was more practical. "I love that people are saying that and are feeling that way about Hulk, but mission accomplished at this point," said Feige of a possible Hulk sequel.

Feige may be cautious about another outing, but another Marvel executive, Paul Gitter, isn't. The President of Consumer Products for North America told Forbes that the studio has been "pleasantly surprised by the phenomenal response" to the Hulk, and that Marvel plans to "spin him off to a stand-alone TV program next year," followed by a big-budget franchise movie in 2015. Guess when you have a movie that almost makes back your $220 million budget in just five days of release in only 70% of foreign markets, strategies have a tendency to change.

The Avengers Already a $178 Million Hit Overseas; Marvel's Kevin Feige on "Sequel-itis"

Looks like The Avengers 2 is quickly becoming a reality, even as Marvel's adaptation of The Avengers has yet to debut in America.

Early last week, box office records were shattered as The Avengers began to open overseas, and, after opening in 70% of foreign markets this past weekend, the movie has made back the better part of its $220 million budget. According to Deadline, Disney is reporting that The Avengers has already earned $178.4 million overseas in five days of release. Should The Avengers open in the U.S. as strongly as anticipated, a sequel is a foregone conclusion.

Combining the efforts of all of Marvel's previous efforts — 2008's Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk; 2010's Iron Man 2; and last year's Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger — The Avengers concludes what Marvel president of production Kevin Feige has called Marvel Cinematic Universe "phase one." Marvel is already planning more sequels for 2013, first with Iron Man 3 and followed by Thor 2, with Captain America 2 opening in 2014. The Avengers 2 should join that list soon enough, raising the question: how will Marvel handle a potential overload of comic book movie sequels? Luckily, Feige already answered how Marvel plans to "prevent sequel-itis" to io9 earlier this month.

Marvel President Says Iron Man Franchise Will Follow James Bond Franchise Model

Sadly, all good things must, inevitably, come to an end. There will be no sequel to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, no more Christopher Nolan-directed Batman movies after The Dark Knight Rises and, eventually, no Robert Downey, Jr.-led Iron Man movies.

What will happen to the Iron Man franchise post-Downey, Jr.? Will it be rebooted with an updated origin to accomodate a new Iron Man, a la The Amazing Spider-Man? According to Marvel President of Production Kevin Feige, the evolution of the Iron Man franchise will likely follow the model of the James Bond franchise and simply replace Downey, Jr. with a new actor, but keep the continuity relatively intact.

Andy Lau to Join "Technological Thriller" Iron Man 3?

Marvel is wasting no time continuing its "Cinematic Universe." The studio will start shooting Iron Man 3 shortly after The Avengers opens in theaters. Plot details have been kept a closely guarded secret, but Marvel president of production Kevin Feige told ABC News last week that the third installment would be quite different from the previous movies.

It's going to be very different, very unique and I think not ascribe to any specific formula that they think they may have pegged us on. It's all in the story. It's where you take Tony Stark on his journey in an unexpected way and have him come out of the Avengers a slightly changed individual, which people will see when they see the movie.

With writer-director Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) taking over the director's chair from Jon Favreau, Iron Man 3 is certainly going to feel different from its predecessors. How, exactly, Black's vision of Tony Stark will differ from Favreau's won't become clear for awhile. One possible hint: During the Disney presentation at CinemaCon, Black called the sequel a "technological thriller," reports SuperHeroHype. That more clearly delineates the sequel from the other Iron Man movies and backs up Black's statement last March that Iron Man will fight "real world villains" in a "Tom Clancy-inspired thriller."

Jessica Chastain in Talks for a Starring Role in Iron Man 3 (Again)

After initially being forced to decline a leading role in Iron Man 3 because of other commitments — primarily the as-yet-untitled "hunt for Osama bin Laden" movie from Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) — it appears as if Jessica Chastain's (The Help) schedule has cleared up enough that she is once again in talks with Marvel Studios for the part. Other actresses who have read for the role of a "sexy scientist every bit as smart" as Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark include Isla Fisher, Diane Kruger, and Gemma Arterton. However, Deadline seems to indicate that the part is Chastain's for the taking.

Guy Pearce in Talks to Join Iron Man 3

With production on Iron Man 3 starting in less than a month, an new actor has join the cast.

Variety reports Guy Pearce is in final talks to play geneticist Aldrich Killian in the Marvel movie.

In the comic books, Killian co-created the Extremis technology, which was designed to hack the human DNA blueprint and replace it with a better one. After terrorists get their hands on the technology, Iron Man is forced to take it to increase his powers. We already know Ben Kingsley is set to play one of the movie's unnamed villains who is responsible for spreading a virus via nanotechnology.

A lot is still unknown about Iron Man 3. Last week, Disney announced it was adding "Chinese Elements" and a "Chinese story" into Iron Man 3, leaving many wondering if the superhero sequel will include the Iron Man nemesis The Mandarin.

Pearce, who stars in this week's Lockout, also stars in Ridley Scott's Prometheus this summer and co-stars with Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy in Lawless later this year.

Iron Man 3 stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts and Don Cheadle as War Machine. Shane Black is directing a script written by Drew Pearce.