The Avengers Sequel Rumors So Far

Because of the intricate details of the comic book world, anything is possible, and it’s great fun to speculate about the implications of every twist, turn and maneuver as they lead to Marvel Studios’ second big landmark film: “The Avengers: Age of Ultron.”

The journey to the next superhero team-up film has already begun with the release of Shane Black’s Iron Man 3, Alan Taylor’s Thor: The Dark World, and Joe and Anthony Russo’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but we’re still salivating with anticipation for James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

This year will have a huge impact on the future of the MCU, but what do we know so far and how will it lead to next summer’s super blockbuster? What is the latest development with all of the characters involved? Let’s get to that, shall we?

At the end of Shane Black’s “Iron Man 3” film, the character has his suit-powering arc reactor removed from his chest, blows up all of his armor, and seemingly leaves the ruins of his Malibu home behind. The final title card of the movie reads “Tony Stark Will Return,” but does that mean that the man will and the machine won’t?

Could the absence of Iron Man be a void that is filled by Don Cheadle and Iron Patriot/War Machine? The series “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” revealed that Tony is now using all of his vast resources towards privatizing global security, and we imagine that will end up very much tying into the creation of “The Avengers: Age of Ultron’s” titular villain.

Just like what “Iron Man 3” did for Iron Man, “Thor: The Dark World” left its titular hero in an interesting position right before the credits rolled.

The end of the film featured the God of Thunder rejecting the throne of Asgard in favor of returning to Earth so that he can be with his love, Jane Foster. This means that when it comes time for The Avengers to reassemble, Thor won’t even have to travel by wormhole to answer the call!

Of all the films we’ve seen in Phase Two, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” has had by far the biggest impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Not only did the eponymous hero have to deal with a horror from his past in the form of The Winter Soldier, S.H.I.E.L.D. turned out to be a massively corrupt institution that had been taken over by HYDRA and subsequently destroyed by our heroes. The movie leaves Cap not only in a future he’s unfamiliar with, but really unable to trust anyone around him.

While Bruce Banner/Hulk didn’t get his own solo movie during Phase Two – despite being the standout of Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers” – he’s coming back in a big way in 2015. Star Mark Ruffalo has confirmed that he will have an expanded role in “The Avengers: Age of Ultron,” though any exact specifics as to what that means right now is unknown.

Ever since the mid-credits sequence of “The Avengers” we’ve been assuming that the Mad Titan known as Thanos was going to be the superhero team’s next biggest foe, but it turns out that it will instead be the nearly indestructible, ridiculously intelligent robot Ultron. And that nearly indestructible, ridiculously intelligent robot will be played by none other than James Spader.