In wake of Iron Man's millions, Marvel piles up future films

Published at 12:00 AM on May 7, 2008

By Mark Krotov

A few years ago, could Robert Downey Jr. have imagined that he would helm an enormous superhero movie that would make $102 million in its opening weekend? Safe to say the ever-cynical actor would have found the proposition highly unlikely.

And yet, here we are. Iron Man made (and very likely will continue to make) a lot of money, Downey’s career continues to move up and Marvel Studios is basking in the glory of the film that it produced. The studio produces films based on Marvel properties, so this success guarantees future projects and makes forthcoming successes much more likely.

What’s on the horizon for Marvel? An Iron Man sequel, for one thing—that’s aimed for April 2010. Thor will be out in June of that year, and 2011 will see Captain America (potentially with Matthew McConaughey in the starring role?) in a solo film, as well as in a movie that shows his camaraderie with Thor, Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk.

Speaking of the big green dude, that particular Marvel film is coming on June 13, with Edward Norton as the title character. Look for Marvel’s stock to (literally) keep rising.

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