IGN Movies has compiled a very detailed synopsis of the Marvel based properties that are currently in development. Kudos to Phil Pirrello and Jesse Schedeen of IGN for taking the time to compile this great read!
Ant-Man
Release Date: 2012
Development Status: Ant-Man and his sometimes wife The Wasp are two of the original five Avengers, and Marvel Studios have been trying for years to get an Ant-Man film off the ground. Currently, Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright is attached to direct the film, which he says will be an action-oriented movie with some humorous elements. Last year Wright reconfirmed his role and briefly discussed the state of the script.
Reportedly, the currently script focuses both on original Ant-Man Hank Pym and his successor Scot Lang. A shifting timeline will follow both heroes in their primes and reflect the comic book stylings of the Silver Age and Modern Age of comics.
Production on Ant-Man is currently stalled, and at this point it seems unlikely the film will arrive in theaters ahead of the Avengers movie. Recently Pixar has expressed an interest in distributing Ant-Man, leading many to wonder if the film will now be computer-animated instead of live-action.
The Avengers
Release Date: May 4, 2012
Development Status: Eagle-eyed fans will already know that the current Marvel Studios films are quietly paving the way for a full-scale Avengers adventure. Nick Fury is gathering together a small group of heroes. Tony Stark appears to have Captain America's shield on his workbench. Cap himself can be glimpsed frozen in ice in Incredible Hulk.
In 2012, after Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Cap have all been established in their respective film franchises, the heroes will be brought together in The Avengers. Iron Man director Jon Favreau is slated to direct the movie, which is currently in an early stage of pre-production. The script is said to draw inspiration from Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's comic The Ultimates, which could even finger Hulk as one of the film's primary villains.
Iron Man 2 stars Robert Downey Jr. and Don Cheadle have already signed on to reprise their roles as Tony Stark and Jim Rhodes, respectively. In turn, the recently-cast Chris Hemsworth will return as Thor. Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury will also take on a much more prominent role.
It's expected that the actor cast as Captain America will return in The Avengers. What is less certain is Edward Norton's involvement. With such a heavy slate of A-List actors, the filmmakers may wish to recast certain parts in order to save money. We've even heard reports that Hulk will not revert to Bruce Banner in the film. Whether this is actually true remains to be seen. Norton's most recent comments on the subject have been noncommittal.
Blade Reboot
Release Date: TBD
Development Status: The best thing about Blade: Trinity is that you can't do much worse than that, making the Daywalker's return to better fare that much easier. While nothing is official from Marvel's camp regarding Blade's return, one can expect that reboot fever will soon touch one of Marvel's earliest success stories.
That return may come in the form of Deacon Frost prequel, however. In July 2009, IGN reported that director Stephen Norrington is working on a prequel trilogy based in the same universe, and centered around Blade's main villain, played in the first film by Stephen Dorff. No word yet on how exactly the idea, which Dorff came up with, will dovetail into the first three films, or what Blade's roll will be, if any. Also, Norrington is not officially attached to this project, at least not on Marvel's dance card. So at this point, it sounds like some dumb muthaf@#!er's trying to ice skate uphill…whatever that means. This is rumor at best and direct-to-DVD at worst. The last story headlining Blade can't be that which Spike TV canceled after one season. So dust off the sunglasses, Wesley.
Deadpool
Release Date: 2011
Development Status: It's not quite on the fast track, but it's getting there. Ryan Reynolds will sport Hal Jordan's ring before he will reprise his role as the Merc with the Mouth in this X-Men Origins: Wolverine spin-off. Recently, long-time X-Men producer Lauren Shuler-Donner revealed that the character's depiction in Wolverine will get – all together now – the reboot treatment, seeing as how the last time we saw Deadpool his head was spiraling away from his body in free fall, while firing Cyclops' optic blasts.
We already wiped the Deadpool-as-Weapon-11 bitter taste from our fanboy pallets, and we're glad to see Fox getting on the ball. The long-time studio home to Xavier's mutants will also release Deadpool's first solo mission. Outside of Reynolds and Donner, no other names have been officially reported to write or direct the story. So what is the story shaping up to be? Reynolds revealed that Cable is most likely not in the first movie, but we may see Ajax and Black Tom appear as villains. Also, expect that mouth of his to get a serious workout, with the character breaking the fourth wall on occasion.
Reynolds recently assured fans that he is mulling over story ideas with writers (but which ones?) and will serve as "authentication police" over the character's treatment – and yes, we will learn how he got those scars.
Fantastic Four Reboot
Release Date: TBD
Development Status: The first salvo to come in the wake of Disney-Marvel came from 20th Century Fox, as the studio confirmed rumors from earlier this year that Marvel's First Family will get exposed to hopefully beneficial reboot rays. Who will spearhead the project? It appears Oscar-winning scribe and Fringe writer and executive producer Akiva Goldsman. You might remember him from such nipplefests as Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.
Variety reports that Fox has also set Heroes and Green Lantern scribe Michael Green to pen the screenplay. The trade adds that since the reboot deals are just getting under way, it's too early to tell if any cast members from the first two films - Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans and Julian McMahon - will reprise their respective roles for the reboot. This contradicts reports from last March that claimed Fox wanted to completely retool and recast the franchise and replace director Tim Story. Look - if what came before was working it wouldn't be getting the fix. We spy a baby-with-the-bath-water situation here, and hope a few of our FF casting choices get to suit up.
The First Avenger: Captain America
Release Date: July 22, 2011
Development Status: The last major Marvel movie prior to the ensemble Avengers film will feature the first Avenger of them all. First Avenger: Captain America will focus on the early days of Steve Rogers and his transformation into Captain America. The current script appears to be set almost entirely in WWII, with Cap's final act of heroism and his subsequent freezing likely serving as the film's climax.
Originally, Marvel Studios planned to debut the Cap movie in early 2011 and have it lead directly into the Avengers film a few months later. While this movie will probably still set the stage for Avengers, the gap between them has now widened to a full year. Captain America now has a script and a director (Jurassic Park 3's Joe Johnston), but as expected, the search for an actor to portray Cap is long and difficult. At one point rumors swirled that Will Smith would don the blue chain mail, but it seems more likely at this point that the filmmakers will choose a relative unknown for the part.
Gambit
Release Date: Unknown
Development Status: Not much is known about a potential Gambit spinoff movie other than the fact that both 20th Century Fox and actor Taylor Kitsch have expressed an interest. Before his appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Gambit had been planned for small roles in both X2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand.
Given that Gambit's origin story was alluded to in Wolverine, it seems likely that a spinoff film would shift focus to the character's later years. Kitsch has voiced his desire for the film to be darker in tone than its predecessor and to explore Gambit's back story.
Iron Man 2
Release Date: May 7, 2010
Development Status: Tony Stark's flight path to a sequel to his hit first movie started off bumpy: "Favreau's not coming back – gasp!?" "The Downey may not return – double gasp?!" "Howard's out, Cheadle's In as Rhodey – more with the gasping?!" But cooler heads and deep pockets prevailed, and the other fire drill that panned out to be true was actor Terrance Howard departing the role of Rhodes. Which kind of sucks for Howard, as Cheadle inhabits the role as Rhodes picks up the War Machine mantle. Face-melting footage from Comic-Con proved that.
IGN's Iron Man 2 set visit , we learned the following about the story: Two personal crises hit Tony hard: Tony's lingering father issues and an energy crisis of some sort. The shadow of Tony's celebrated, brilliant father, Howard - a man who helped America win World War II and stay armed during the Cold War - looms over the entire film. Howard's past somehow holds the key to Tony's future. (Tony isn't the only character with daddy issues; Mickey Rourke's villain, Ivan "Whiplash" Vanko also has them.) Black Widow weaves her way through the story, infiltrating Stark Industries and the CEO himself. All of this turmoil wears down Stark's relationship with Pepper and Rhodey, and most likely impacts Nick Fury's attempts to lure Stark to S.H.I.E.L.D. Expect Sam Rockwell's Justin Hammer to get into the fun as well.
All of this will be revealed next May, and maybe in 3-D. Paramount will distribute the sequel, but rights for releasing the third film will most likely fall under Disney, as IM3 is not part of Paramount's distribution deal with Marvel.
Magneto
Release Date: Possibly 2011
Development Status: Magneto has long been expected to be the second X-Men character to receive a spinoff movie after Wolverine. Reports have consistently indicated that the film would be set long before the other X-Men films and focus on a younger Magneto and his troubled friendship with Charles Xavier. It's expected that at least some of the movie will be set during Magneto's time as a concentration camp prisoner, a period that was briefly shown in the first X-Men movie.
Other than benign reports of confirmation that the project is still underway at 20th Century Fox, not much has been revealed about a Magneto movie lately. The most promising sign this year came from screenwriter David Goyer, who believes Magneto will begin filming at some point within the next year.
No casting choices have been announced. Some have theorized that the same CG techniques used to portray a younger Magneto and Xavier in X-Men: The Last Stand will be reused, meaning Ian McKellan could conceivably reprise his role for a fourth time. However, it seems more likely that a younger actor will be brought in to keep effects costs to a minimum.
Magneto will likely happen sooner or later, but as to whether it becomes the next X-Men film out of the gate, we're beginning to have our doubts.
Runaways
Release Date: Unknown
Development Status: Marvel's troubled teen heroes are expected to be the next big franchise to hit the screen after the Avengers movie in 2012. In 2008, Marvel Studios revealed their intentions to adapt the series to film. Creator Brian K. Vaughan has already been brought in to produce a script, though at this point it's unclear whether his script will be green-lit for production.
Little news has trickled out since then, though we have no reason to believe the project isn't still moving forward. Just don't expect a release until after the Avengers movie hits in 2012, after which Marvel Studios will finally have room to focus on other, newer properties.
Silver Surfer
Release Date: Unknown
Development Status: A Silver Surfer movie has been rumored for years, even predating the recent Fantastic Four films. With Surfer now established in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, 20th Century Fox have indicated they would like to go forward with a spinoff a la X-Men Origins: Wolverine. For a while, it appeared that the Surfer movie would take precedence over a third FF film. J. Michael Straczynski was brought in to write a script, and Doug Jones' contract allowed for two more appearances as Silver Surfer.
However, it was more recently announced that 20th Century Fox hope to reboot the FF franchise. Will the company still be interested in a Silver Surfer spinoff at the same time? It's hard to tell, but the fact that we haven't heard any recent news about a Silver Surfer movie suggests fans shouldn't get their hopes up just yet.
Spider-Man 4-6
Release Dates: May 6, 2011 (Spider-Man 4)
Development Status: After a brief, chaotic period where fans were uncertain whether the cast and crew of the Spider-Man films would return for a fourth outing, things seem to have gotten back on track. Spider-Man 4 is now set for release in May 2011. Sam Raimi will once again direct, and Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst will return to play Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson.
There is no early word on the villains in the fourth film, though the previous three movies certainly set the stage for an appearance by the Lizard. Michael Papajohn, who played the criminal who apparently-but-not-really shot Uncle Ben in the first film, has revealed that he'll be reprising his role, most likely in the form of a flashback sequence. Bruce Campbell, who cameoed in all three Spidey films, has also hinted that he may be taking on a larger role this time.
Early rumors suggest Sony would film Spider-Man 4 and 5 back to back, but Raimi has denied this possibility. However, work has already begun on the fifth and sixth movies. It appears that the two will be closely connected and may indeed be filmed concurrently. Unfortunately, Spider-Man 4 is starting to sound be the last outing for Raimi, Maguire, and Dunst, leaving many to wonder if the fifth and sixth films will actually be reboots.
Thor
Release Date: May 20, 2011
Development Status: The God of Thunder has pulled in Kenneth "Shakespeare" Brannagh to direct and Oscar-nominee Natalie Portman to play Jane Foster. A promising line-up of talent for your first movie.
Marvel is keeping Thor close to the vest, as the project is a tougher sell to mainstream audiences than Spidey or Shellhead. Middle Earth and Hogwarts are box office gold, sure, but Norse Gods who hide in mortal shells and live in Asgard is unproven. Packaging the film with A-list talent, and casting Captain Kirk's dad from the new Star Trek movie as the titular hero, are steps in the right direction. Jessica Biel is currently orbiting the project as well, which doesn't hurt Thor's box office chances either. The story will pit Thor opposite Tom Hiddleston as Loki , and promises to be a movie worthy of the character's epic origins. The risk on this project not hitting with summer-friendly audiences is higher than Marvel may like, but that will change whenever Marvel decides to roll out our first look of the Thor costume and a teaser.
X-Men: First Class
Release Date: 2011
Development Status: 20th Century Fox clearly still has big plans for the X-Men franchise, though none of them seem to include X-Men 4 at the moment. Instead, the focus will continue to fall on the earlier years of the mutant heroes. The next ensemble X-Men film will be titled X-Men: First Class. Like the comic of the same name, this movie will flash back to the earliest incarnation of the team as they struggle to cope with their powers. Assuming First Class is still set within the established film continuity and not a reboot, the character lineup will include Professor Xavier, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, and Storm. That's right, Fox are actually planning an X-Men movie without Wolverine.
Initial development on this project appeared to be slow, with Fox waiting to gauge the success of their Magneto movie before moving ahead with further spinoffs. However, actor Tim Pocock, who portrayed a young Cyclops in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, reported on his Twitter feed that he'll be reprising the role when First Class begins production in 2010. Now it seems Magneto may be the one sitting on the bench.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine 2
Release Date: 2011
Development Status: Fast-tracked. A lot of people saw Wolverine, but not many of them talked about how good it was. Too many mutant cameos distracted from focusing on the titular character, which is something the filmmakers plan to remedy. Oscar-winner Christopher McQuarrie, who scripted The Usual Suspects and did work on the first X-Men movie, will help tell of Logan's journey to Japan, where he fell in love and learned the ways of the samurai.
McQuarrie's involvement leads to speculation that his frequent collaborator Bryan Singer will return to the X-Men franchise, as it seems like Origins' director Gavin Hood is out . No news yet on who the villain will be, but word 'round the campfire suggests that the demon swordsmith Muramasa will appear, and that Omega Red or Silver Fox are potential candidates. The Japan storyline could work out to be as good as X2, if not better. As long as it doesn't have memory-wiping bullets or a boxing match with Blob, it's already better than the first Wolverine movie.
Thanks again to Phil and Jesse at IGN Movies for taking the time to put this article together! I've been waiting for the day when this many comic movies are realistically waiting to be made.
P.S. Also, thanks to Paul S. for letting me have all those comic images! You have the largest collection I've seen by far!