Man With An Iron Will

If you think Marvel Comics has run out of superheroes to get the big screen treatment--Think again...

Variety's Pamela McClintock spells out which costumed icons are next in line to make the leap:

Jon Favreau is set to direct Marvel Studios live-action feature "Iron Man," which will now be distributed by Paramount.

News is part of a wider announcement from Marvel outlining a barrage of directing and writing deals for a slate of films it is developing...

All [of] the [projects] but one, "The Incredible Hulk," will be distributed by [Paramount] under an existing service agreement.

"Iron Man," Marvel's top priority, also has nabbed writing duo Arthur Marcum and Matt Hollaway ("Convoy").

New Line gave rights back to Marvel last year after several years of unsuccessful development.

Marvel disclosed it is pursuing a second "Hulk" pic[ture], despite the so-so performance of Ang Lee's 2003 film. Zak Penn, who has collaborated with Marvel on several features, including the upcoming "X-Men: The Last Stand," will pen the script for what's being called "Incredible Hulk."

Universal, which handled the first "Hulk," would distribute the follow-up.

Follow-up is expected to have a smaller budget and be less erudite. "There's something very primal about the Hulk that we didn't get in movie one," said Marvel Studios chair Avi Arad.

Scribe David Self ("Thirteen Days," "Road to Perdition") has been tapped to pen the long-awaited feature version of "Captain America."

Edgar Wright ("Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz") will direct and co-write with Joe Cornish the feature film "Ant Man." Always seen as a bit of a ridiculous super-hero -- his power is to control ants -- duo plan to give the big-screen "Ant-Man" a comedic twist...

Marvel has tapped scribe Andrew Marlowe ("Air Force One," "Hollow Man") to pen the script for "Nick Fury," based on Marvel's military super spy.

Fresh off writing Warner Bros. "Poseidon," Mark Protosevich will pen Marvel's "Thor"...

Marvel hasn't committed to put any of [these flicks] into production yet, though it's hoping to release the first one by 2008. "Iron Man" and "Incredible Hulk" are furthest along and thus most likely to hit that date.

Marvel has seven other super heroes and teams in development without talent yet attached.

"These are all giant titles. Obviously, there's a lot of work to be done," Arad said.

After "Iron Man" and "Hulk," Marvel's next priority is "Captain America," which Arad said he hopes to release in 2009.

Interesting to note that a Hulk sequel is "further along", considering just about everyone dismissed the idea, as recently as last year. Not to mention the fact that Fantastic Four 2 is not even part in the article at all. I would have thought that since the sequel is in the Marvel pipeline for sure, it would have been part of the slate.

Known for making, and acting in edgy comedies, Favreau makes for a truly inspired choice to direct Iron Man...He does have the fact that he played a pal to Ben Affleck in 2003's Daredevil under his belt though.