With the talent side of their upcoming Avengers film pretty much locked down, Marvel Studios is now turning their attention to finding a replacement for the departed Jon Favreau to direct their next Iron Man film. Studio execs have been meeting with several possible candidates, and it is emerging that writer/director Shane Black is one of those who have taken one of those meetings.
If Black were to be offered the job, it is assumed that he would write a draft of the screenplay as well as direct.
Marvel already has the film booked for a May 3, 2013 release, so if Black gets the gig, he will probably have to juggle his Iron Man 3 duties with the adaptation of the manga Death Note and the screenplay adapting the classic pulp hero Doc Savage that he is already working on.
Black is certainly a good choice. His career making screenplay for Lethal Weapon pretty much defined the formula for action films for over a decade and it’s use of comic relief still echoes in the Iron Man franchise. Black has worked with Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. before as well, on 2005’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Downey reportedly enjoyed the collaboration so much that the actor consulted the writer/director for some tips on how to play Tony Stark before he began shooting the first Iron Man.
