MTV’s Rick Marshall visited Jon Favreau at the editing studio of his next film Cowboys and Aliens to ask him about all of the different films being made within the Marvel universe. Unfortunately, the acclaimed Iron Man director knows very little of these projects, including his very own Iron Man 3. Check out what he had to say, along with some commentary sprinkled throughout.
"I've talked to ['Thor' director] Kenneth Branagh. I've met the cast members. I had a conversation with ['Avengers' director Joss Whedon] in passing, giving him my two cents about the film."
"In theory, 'Iron Man 3' is going to be a sequel or continuation of 'Thor,' 'Hulk,' 'Captain America' and 'Avengers.' This whole world... I have no idea what it is. I don't think they do either, from conversations I've had with those guys."
Stellar action sequences and great performances aside, Iron Man 2 wasn’t far from being an Avengers commercial already, so it makes sense for this next installment in the franchise to serve as a follow-up to other films in the Marvel universe.
"Honestly, right now 'Captain America' and 'Thor' are their big priorities, and you learn things by shooting and making movies. The script is one thing, but when you actually see what you land on at the editing room — especially with Marvel where they film, cut, film some more and shape the film — you really learn as you go."
It should come as no surprise that Marvel is heavily focusing on Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor, as the studio has taken huge risks in casting leads that are neither box office draws nor A-list stars: Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth, respectively. Furthermore, the estimated budget for both films is approximately $290 million. The decision to cast Robert Downey Jr. for the $140 million Iron Man was a gamble, but he was a critically acclaimed Oscar nominee -- the same cannot be said for Evans or Hemsworth.
Expect the marketing campaign for these films next year to be more intense than those for any preceding Marvel film. Of course the omnipresence of the marketing next year will pale in comparison to that which will hit us in 2012 when the studio is pushing The Avengers.
Anticipation for each of these Marvel projects still runs high, and since Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor head to theaters next summer, keep a lookout for more Marvel-related news to hit in the near future.
