Now that Iron Man 3 has grossed $1 billion worldwide, Marvel can really start planning Phase Three of its Cinematic Universe, even if Phase Two has only just started.
In a detailed interview with Entertainment Weekly, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige talked about the Disney-owned studio’s plans going forward after Phase Two wraps. Phase Two kicked off with Iron Man 3 and will include Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Thor: The Dark World, Guardians of the Galaxy and 2015’s Avengers 2.
First up, Ant-Man is definitely going to happen and director Edgar Wright is still going to do it, once The World’s End hits theaters this August. Feige said that Wright has been interested in bringing the tiny hero to the big screen for years. “It goes back so long you maybe even remember our 2006 appearance at Comic-Con. Edgar was on that panel talking about Ant-Man. And it had been a few years [of planning] at that point,” he told EW.
Marvel isn’t on the same level of commitment with Doctor Strange, but the character is a priority. “I would love Strange to be a part of that only because he’s a great character. He’s a great standalone character,” Feige noted.
Feirge was also confident that Iron Man could be another James Bond-style franchise, but they would have to realize that 48-year-old Robert Downey Jr. can’t play Tony Stark forever. Joss Whedon did tell IGN that if The Avengers call Tony Stark, he would reply, so it looks like the director is expecting to see Iron Man in Avengers 2.
As for other characters, Feige said, “So Punisher, Ghost Rider, … Blade, all those characters are back...They all have potential, but I think we need to find the right time.” It’s very likely that those characters won’t even show up in Phase Three.
Iron Man 3 just reached $1 billion on Thursday. Thor: The Dark World hits theaters in November.