Following the success of the Iron Man movie over the weekend, Marvel Studios updated its movie schedule as follows:

• Punisher: War Zone (Lionsgate)- December 5, 2008
• X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Fox)- May 1, 2009
• Iron Man 2 - April 30, 2010
• Thor - June 4, 2010
• The First Avenger: Captain America - May 6, 2011
• The Avengers - July 2011
• Spider-Man 4 - Still in development
• Ant-Man - Writer/Director engaged

It was announced that Iron Man 2 would introduce Thor. While Robert Downey Jr, Gweneth Paltrow, and Terrence Howard are signed for three films, it is uncertain if Jon Favreau will return as director.

Take the jump for the rundown of the animated series and animated direct to DVD projects

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Or - “It’s Too Bad That The New Warriors Don’t Have Their Own Book… Wait, What?”

With all things Skrullapalooza breaking loose in the Marvel Universe, it’s sometimes hard to remember that OTHER storylines are in media res.  The threads of disaster that were set up in the very first issue of this book have finally woven together into an indian couch blanket of lies, deceit, death, and payback, and like most couch blankets, it’s rough, unattractive, and something stinks.  Get your scorecards ready and prepare to check off characters who get squished, stabbed, and lit on fire, folks, because this battle is gonna get bowling-shoe ugly.

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Marvel is giving away the Avengers/Invaders Sketchbook that arrives in stores today (April 23). It’s all part of the secret plot to get you to buy Avengers/Invaders #1 that arrives May 7, 2008.

The Invaders have traveled to the present time, finding themselves face-to-face with the Avengers…but will they be allies or enemies? The truth arrives in Avengers/Invaders #1, but tomorrow today you can get you first peek at the answers in the can’t miss—and FREE—Avengers/Invaders Sketchbook!

via Marvel

Or - “We’re Filth! We’re Filth! We Come From Filth, We’re Going To Filth! We’re Filth!”

Anybody know why Ms. Marvel is getting pawed by walking $#!+-men? 

Anybody? 

Anybody? 

Bueller?

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Or - “In Wrestling, They Call It ‘The Rub’… “

The Rub is that moment where an established star uses their credibility to build the popularity of a less-established character, such as when Mick Foley lost to Triple H in a ‘Hell In A Cell’ match, (a match that Foley himself pretty much made famous) making Triple H seem that much more impressive.  In comics, you might recall Captain America stepping aside to let the Wasp be Avengers chairperson, or (more recently) Mr. Fantastic leaving The Black Panther in charge of the Fantastic Four.  This issue is ostensibly about young Mary Sue Maya Lopez, but there’s another Avenger on hand to, in wrestling vernacular, put her over…

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Wow. I mean, wow! Did you read Secret Invasion? Did you pay attention to the Who Do You Trust? campaign? Remember that Nick Fury picture? Where is Nick Fury, and is he a Skrull?

Answer will be revealed April 23, 2008 in Mighty Avengers #12 featuring the return of the cigar chomping, one eyed hero.

Marvel Comics has kindly slipped us a sneak peek of the issue.

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I really like the story time narration lead in to the next Marvel Avengers direct to DVD movie, but I’m not sure I can get a firm grasp on the “Avenger Babies” concept and why people would want to rush out and buy it.

I’m more than likely going to buy it and watch.

More info at Marvel.com

Or - “Here’s The Story… Of A Man Named Hardball!”

With Ann B. Davis as Cloud 9!  Of the eleven characters on this cover nonyptic (I don’t think that’s really a word, but I couldn’t think of another way to describe a tryptic with 9 squares) one is about to buy the farm, to shuffle off this mortal coil, to ring down the curtain and join the bleedin’ choir invisibule…  I’m not necessarily taking bets or anything, but three of these guys have a healing factor, two have whiskers on their masks, and one is an angry clown.  Place your bets, spins the wheel and takes ya chances!

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Or - “Doubling Up To Keep Up With Bagley.”

See, the joke there is that Mark Bagley draws ridiculously fast.  After the first seven issues of Mighty A’s took somewhere in the neighborhood of fifty-three years to come out, (even though they were supposed to tie into issues of NEW Avengers which then ended up having to be in their future… or however that sentence began) Marvel apparently wants to make up the difference, cranking out a Bagley-drawn issue roughly every seventeen minutes.  The effect, whether intentional or not, has been to make Mighty Avengers feel like a completely different book…  but, you have to ask, is it one I want to read?

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Or - “Remember What I Said Earlier About Marriage In Comics?”

Luke Cage and Jessica Jones have been one of my favorite comic book couple for some time now, combining her neurotic brand of crazy with his tough-guy with street smarts attitude.  When the semi-controversial issue of Alias exposing their vaguely sordid sexual relationship first came out, I remember thinking that there were long-term possibilities in the coupling that people were missing.  Post-Civil-War, after marriage and a baby, Luke and Jessica have hit a rocky patch, and the question of whether either of them is who they claim to be really isn’t helping things.  Where the hell is Mephisto when you really need him?

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Hulking, meet your father. He’s a Kree warrior that we all know as Captain Marvel. How will Hulkling react? You’ll find out in Young Avengers Presents #2. Marvel has sent Major Spoilers a sneak peek at the issue that arrives February 27.

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Good news for those who are hoping for the House of Ideas to come through with movie continuity. According to actor William Hurt let slip he has a seen with Iron Man in the upcoming Hulk redo.

“I don’t know how it’ll work,” Hurt admitted, saying it was a thrill to appear as General Thaddeus Ross during Downey’s scene. “I know it’s weird [to work with a character from another movie], and to know it’s a device. We did something; I don’t know what that’s going to be like [to watch].”

I’m all for making sure we are on our way to the culminating Avengers movie, featuring all the title characters from the in progress films, let’s just hope actors are still available in eight years for the film, or things are going to be a little weird.

via MTV

The Marvel Universe is still feeling the impact from the limited House of M series, and in House of M: Avengers #1, writers Christos Gage, and artist Mike Perkins take a look at the Avengers.

Marvel has sent us a sneak peek of the series that arrives November 14, 2007.

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Or - “Human Sacrifice, Dogs And Cats Living Together - Mass Hysteria!”

Peter Venkman was right! The world has gone mad, topsy turvy, everything you know is wrong! New Avengers (the Avengers book that I normally really enjoy) made me angry this week, and when I chose my reviews for today, I intended to start with the new issue of Captain America. My perusal of Mighty Avengers changed my mind. Four issues into the fight with Ultron, and we still have little-to-no idea what the heck is going on with this book, but in this age of six issue arcs for trade consumption, you might suspect that the heat would get turned up in chapter V. You, dear Spoilerite, would be right…

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We’ve been waiting for it ever since Elektra was revealed as a Skrull, now Marvel launches the first salvo of Secret Invasion: Infiltration in two issues - New Avengers: Illuminati #5, and Avengers: The Initiative Annual #1.

They are sans word balloons, but Marvel has sent a sneak peek of the two issues that you can see after the jump.

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