Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau laid the groundwork Saturday for expansion and cross-pollination of Marvel franchises. And we're not just talking about sequels! He screened exclusive Iron Man 2 footage that hinted at a mega-Marvel collaboration.
"We wanted to move [Iron Man 2's] plot along to get to where they eventually arrive at The Avengers," Favreau told the crowd of 6,000. The Avengers are an all-star team of Marvel superheroes: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, The Hulk and some guy named the Ant-Man. (How upset would you be if Ant-Man showed up to save you. Worse than a spider!)
"I've been watching the prep work Kenneth Branagh has been doing on Thor," Favreau told fans."And I'd love to work on a project like The Avengers." Given that Favs was seated next to a Kevin Feige, president of production for Marvel, who couldn't have looked more tickled with the success of the Iron Man franchise, we think he may have an "in" for the director's slot.
So what other things happened at one of the most hyped-up panels of Comic-Con? A lot!
• Favreau opened with a 90-second promo. When the lights flipped back on, Robert Downey Jr. was on stage with Favs. The star charmingly castigated Favs for giving the audience such "weak-ass footage." The crowd rose to their feet and got their wish: a content-heavy four-minute trailer.
• There were two substantial scenes in the trailer. The first showed a haggard and grumpy Tony Stark chomping on doughnuts with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Stark described how difficult it was to do all this world-saving on his own, but refused Fury's proposal to join a "superhero boy band." Maybe because Ant-Man was tapped for it, too?
• The second scene in the trailer was of Stark testifying before a Senate committee about his possession of a secret super weapon (his suit). RDJ was at his best and most flamboyant in this scene. Outfitted with pinstripes and trademark sarcasm, Stark demanded the Senate thank him, not prosecute him, for maintaining "world peace." Garry Shandling, the Senate committee chairman, told Stark to "f--k off!"
• When asked by the moderator to describe her preparation for the audition to play Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson responded, "I did a lot of deep knee bends," and "I dyed my hair red." Is that Oscar buzz we hear? Way to go, ScarJo!
• RDJ, who is known for being punchy with the press, did not like the moderator's audition question and leapt at the chance to defend his costar. "Did you bump your f--king head, dude? [ScarJo]'s audition is her body of work!"
• Don Cheadle said that his replacement of Terrence Howard mid-franchise was handled "elegantly" in the film. Cheadle insisted that he derived a lot from Howard's portrayal of Col. Jim Rhodes. "You know me, I'm a vampire," Cheadle joked, "I sucked his performance dry."
And, at least judging by the crowd reaction at this action-packed panel, that's the only sucking the fans expect from Iron Man 2.
________
Get your Comic-Con on with our total live coverage!