If you're a regular reader of this site(and thanks if you are!), then chances are you've already seen The Avengers. Opening at a record breaking $200M this past weekend, Marvel has reaped the benefits of an unprecedented marketing campaign spanning four years, multiple movies, and an incredible amount of creative cooperation amongst a number of filmmakers. The build-up began way back in 2008 with Iron Man, and the shocking appearance of Nick Fury inviting Tony Stark into the "Avengers Initiative", and we've seen the pieces laid out in Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, and Iron Man 2. Now as The Avengers has come and gone, it's time to start looking forward to what the sequel may hold. There WILL be spoilers in this piece, so if you haven't seen The Avengers yet, then what the f**k are you waiting for? Get your tickets here. Stat.
Still with me? Ok. Unlike the previous Marvel movies, The Avengers doesn't have a lot of Easter Eggs for hawkeyed fans to spot. No random mentions of the Black Panther or Wakanda. No Wasp sightings. Nothing like that. Yet there's still one huge thing to get pumped up over, and it happens during the post-credits sequence with the arrival of Thanos onto the scene. Not everybody knows who the mad purple titan is, but to say his arrival is a big deal is a drastic understatement.
With Thanos's arrival, we know that much of the future action is going to continue revolving around the Cosmic Cube(known as the Tesseract), and considering his close ties to the gods of Asgard, expect whatever evil plan Thanos is hatching to explode in Thor's upcoming sequel. Thanos is part of the immortal race of Eternals, and he has always had a rather unique obsession with Death. Yes, the actual living embodiment of Death, who he seeks to appease in every way possible. He first does this by slaughtering millions of his own people in the Thanos War. Later, he would acquire the all-powerful Infinity Gauntlet, imbued with six gems of limitless energy capable of reshaping the universe.
At the end of The Avengers, Thor is seen heading back home to Asgard with both Loki and the Cosmic Cube. Loki will probably wind up in the Asgardian brig, while the Cube will either be stolen along the way or end up in Odin's vault.....where it'll eventually be stolen. We actually got a good look at Odin's Vault in the Thor film, and if you look closely this is what you'll find...
What is that over there on the right? Oh...why it's the Infinity Gauntlet. I'm not convinced that Thanos will be the actual enemy in The Avengers 2, but his plan will kick into full gear at that time. Expect for it to become most clear when Thor 2 opens on November 15th 2013. Alan Taylor(Game of Thrones) will direct, with Natalie Portman expected to return as Jane Foster.
So how do the other movies fit into this equation? Iron Man 3 is the first Marvel film we'll see post-Avengers, so expect it to have the most immediate impact. The world is in a totally different place now, having been invaded by aliens and all-powerful gods. Tony Stark(Robert Downey Jr.) is going to get pulled in a number of different directions, and not everybody is going to like having so many superpowered folks, even those in suits of armor, running around. We saw bits of this in The Avengers with the behind-the-scenes stuff involving Nick Fury and his superiors at S.H.I.E.L.D.
Directed by Shane Black and set to open on May 3rd 2013, we know that Iron Man 3 will be based on the Extremis storyline from the comics, which has Stark battling a terrorist foe powered by nano-technology. In order to combat the threat, Stark injects himself with the Extremis serum, increasing his power significantly and allowing him to become closer to a living cyborg than just a normal man. Obviously, this would be something Tony Stark would want after the damage he sustained in Loki's attack, but I think most importantly it's going to make the government even more suspicious of his motives. It's possible that this could lead to a scenario where the sequel has The Avengers battling the combined might of the world's military forces, with Thanos using the chaos to move his plan forward. If this is the case, don't expect War Machine(Don Cheadle) to be on Stark's side. He's a military man, through and through, and will do what he's told when it boils right down to it.
Captain America 2 is the furthest away, still without a director and not set to open until April 4th 2014. George Nolfi(The Adjustment Bureau) and the Russo Brothers(Welcome to Collinwood) are the final contenders to helm the film, which as we've learned previously will take place in the present day. Marvel President, Kevin Feige, has stated that the story will deal with Captain America(Chris Evans) learning who from his past is still alive. That will likely include members of his Howling Commandos; his nemesis the Red Skull(Hugo Weaving); and possibly Sharon Carter, the daughter of Peggy Carter(Hayley Atwell). But what about Cap's partner, Bucky? In the comics, he grows up to become known as the Winter Soldier,and eventually takes on the mantle of Captain America from Steve Rogers. His inclusion in the sequel would seem to make the most sense, and could lead to a dramatic confrontation between them to round out Cap's trilogy.
There are other things to consider in Marvel's road to an Avengers sequel, and they all revolve around characters we haven't seen yet. We know that there are plans underway for a number of films based on lower-tier heroes, such as Ant-Man, Dr. Strange, and Guardians of the Galaxy. Ant-Man is furthest along in development, even though it's without a firm release date. It will follow Henry "Hank" Pym, one of the founding members of The Avengers and a renowned scientist in his own right. He invents what are known as Pym Particles, that allow him to shrink or grow to gigantic proportions. Edgar Wright(Shaun of the Dead) is directing it, and the process of integrating Pym into the larger Marvel cinematic universe has already begun. Pym is alluded to by Dr. Selvig(Stellan Skarsgard) as a close, personal friend with ties to S.H.I.E.L.D.
What about The Hulk? Marvel has been hesitant to green light another Hulk film after two lukewarm attempts, but the response to Mark Ruffalo's portrayal has been so positive that they are reconsidering. A TV series is currently in development, and if that succeeds we may see a solo Hulk film in 2015. Where would be the logical next move for Dr. Banner after The Avengers? He seems to have been positioned as more of a hero than ever before, and has found a kindred spirit in Tony Stark. Is it possible we may see Banner show up in some manner in Iron Man 3? What about some other characters that would seem to be a natural fit? Janet Van Dyne aka The Wasp was rumored to be in Iron Man 2 but never showed up. As Hank Pym's wife, she's bound to be included around the same time as him. Carol Danvers aka Ms. Marvel aka Warbird aka Binary(yeah she's had a lot of code-names) was another character rumored for The Avengers but that turned out to be false. The possibilities are endless. Those hoping to see the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, or the X-men will be disappointed, as they are licensed out to other studios. This is one reason why Loki's alien army was changed from the shapeshifting Skrulls, as they are most closely affiliated with the Fantastic Four, who are licensed by 20th Century Fox. It's also a reason why you may not see other popular Avengers heroes like Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. As the children of Magneto, they are associated with the X-men franchise, and so also fall under 20th Century Fox.
