Downey to star in 'Avengers,' more 'Iron Man' (VAR, AICN)

By Nancy Tartaglione-Vialatte

Robert Downey Jr. will return as Tony Stark not only in Marvel’s “Iron Man 2,” but also in “The Avengers” and a third “Iron Man” film, says Variety. Jon Favreau, who is directing the second "Iron Man," will also exec produce "The Avengers."

“The Avengers” is set for a July 15, 2001 release and will reunite the Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the Incredible Hulk.

In a statement on Tuesday, Marvel also confirmed that Don Cheadle has joined “Iron Man” to replace Terrence Howard as Col. James Rhodes in both the “Iron Man” sequels and “The Avengers.”

“Iron Man 2” is set for a May 7, 2010 release. Marvel will self-finance and produce its upcoming slate with Paramount distributing the films.

Meanwhile, in a recent interview with Aintitcool.com, Favreau spoke about his work on “Iron Man 2” and the other films.

Comparing Tony Stark to James Bond, Favreau says, “There’s definitely a sense of humor…that the Roger Moore James Bonds or the Sean Connery James Bonds had when I was growing up. There was a tonal swagger to it and there was a sense of really having a window into the way the other half lives, in an over-the-top way. And I think as James Bond, as that series has reinvigorated itself by moving closer to the… almost to the 'Bourne Identity' approach, it’s leaving behind this really fun world that seems anachronistic for Bond now. But for Tony Stark I say we have to go for it…”

Favreau also says he’s going to “get a little more involved now with what goes on with the other movies. I’m very excited about Kenneth Branagh, I can’t wait to see his take on ‘Thor’ and we’re really looking at the (‘Captain America’) stuff, very closely.”

Finally, regarding “Iron Man 2” and the fans, Favreau says he thinks he’ll set up a Facebook page where he “will disseminate information and include them in the process as much as I can. The difficulty becomes… you don’t want to undermine the release of the film."