Avengerpalooza

Favreau Helming Iron Man

from Sci-Fi Wire

Jon Favreau is set to direct Marvel Studios' live-action movie Iron Man, which will now be distributed by Paramount, part of a slate of directing and writing deals Marvel announced, Variety reported. Iron Man is Marvel's top priority and will be written by Arthur Marcum and Matt Hollaway (Convoy).

Marvel is developing the titles, which it will independently finance out of a $525 million fund from Merrill Lynch. All of the films will be distributed by Paramount under an existing service agreement, except for The Incredible Hulk, a sequel to 2003's Hulk.

The second Hulk movie, meanwhile, is proceeding despite the first film's lackluster performance at the box office. Zak Penn (X-Men: The Last Stand) will pen the script. Universal, which handled the first Hulk, would distribute the follow-up.

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

Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) will direct and co-write with Joe Cornish the feature film Ant Man, with a comedic twist.

Andrew Marlowe (Hollow Man) will write the script for Nick Fury, based on Marvel's military super spy.

Mark Protosevich (Poseidon) will pen Thor.

Marvel hasn't committed to put any of the films into production yet, though it's hoping to release the first one by 2008.