Marvel’s Phase Two is well on the way and fans are eagerly awaiting more information on Phase Three. The new series will be kicked off with 2015’s Ant-Man. Other movies in the running are lesser-knowns, Dr Strange and The Inhumans. WARNING SPOILERS FOLLOW!
Marvel’s president of production, Kevin Feige, recently spoke with Screen Rant about when the studio will announce its plans for 2016:
“I think it will be sometime next year; sometime in the first half of next year. First we have to really decide which ones we want to do and both of the ones you named are among the projects we’re talking about. If you look at the films for next year, The Winter Soldier’ and Guardians of the Galaxy, the year after that Age of Ultron’ and Ant Man’m we really like--and I don’t know if this will always be the case--but we like that in those two years there’s an existent franchise--new stories of an existing character--and then a whole new group of characters. We find that that’s a nice rhythm for our two films a year.”
Dr. Erik Selvig’s chalkboard in Thor: The Dark World also hints that Dr. Strange will be a part of the new plan.
Feige went on to talk about Joss Whedon's involvement in the new phase:
“It’s still being determined. All of his efforts right now in what he’s doing for us primarily, obviously, writing and preparing ‘Age of Ultron’ but also in reading the drafts of the films in phase 2, watching early cuts and a) to inform him where the characters are going to end up in the beginning of Age of Ultron and also to get his input and his wisdom into all of these. But right now it’s all about leading up to Age of Ultron.”
Meanwhile, Ant-Man casting news is expected soon. Paul Rudd is rumored to be up for the lead role, however, The Daily Superhero recently reported that Rudd is holding out for more money:
"One of the issues with signing Rudd right now is the pending release of his next potential blockbuster film, Anchorman 2. While Rudd is just a supporting actor in the film, the source says his stock will be as high as ever after the film becomes a huge hit this holiday season. (Some speculation by the source there but let's be honest in agreeing that Anchorman 2 will make a ton of box office cash.)"
