So much so, in fact, that according to Variety, the third installment in the Iron Man series is expected to break the $1 billion mark sometime this week. It should be noted, however, that this total is a worldwide mark, and not just in the United States. That being said, Iron Man 3 is already number 16 on the all time worldwide box office list regarding box office earnings, as pointed out by Box Office Mojo. For what it’s worth, The Tony Stark Movie has earned almost $300 million in United States.

When you consider how much more is involved to push a movie close the billion dollar level, it just goes to show that, even though Iron Man 3 featured very little of, well, Iron Man in it, the movie is still very much a global-level hit. For me, the question is, is this because the audience loved the movie that much, or did the afterglow of The Avengers mean such a value for the first Marvel Studios movie to follow the second-highest grossing movie ever was pretty much guaranteed, especially when it features Robert Downey, Jr?

Today, Marvel and LEGO released the first teaser trailer for Marvel Super Heroes. It shows fan-favorite Marvel heroes such as Spider-Man, Thor, Wolverine, the Hulk, Black Widow, Captain America, Deadpool and Iron Man. In addition to the Avengers lineup, the game’s creators have announced that the title will feature over 100 different playable characters from Marvel comics. The trailer also teases Galactus as the main villain of the title, meaning Marvel is placing the stakes pretty high for its LEGO-ized super heroes.

Marvel Studios today released an early trailer for the movie that teases new villains and more politics in Asgard. The trailer shows that Natalie Portman will be reprising her role as Jane Foster, and the very end of the trailer teases that Thor may have to make an alliance with Avengers villain Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston. It also shows at bit of the new enemies Thor will be facing: the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, led by Christopher Eccleston’s Malekith.

Iron Man 3 – The Official Game - is a freemium title for iOS and Android that gives players the chance to use 18 of Iron Man’s most iconic suits as Tony Stark battles across various missions.

Some players expressed concern in the YouTube comments that Iron Man 3 will devolve into a shallow cash cow as the game encourages players to spend real money to unlock new weapons and armors. Gameloft says that’s not the case as every armor and weapon can be unlocked through normal gameplay. Of course, the developer doesn’t say just how long players will have to play before unlocking the advance armors, but at least it’s possible.

Iron Man 3 – The Official Game - will be out on iPhone, iPad and Android devices on April 25.

News recently came out that Chinese viewers will see a different cut of Iron Man 3 than other audiences. This video is a take on that.

This one looks a lot better than Iron Man 2.

In case you’re wondering about the dead pigs, this might help.

Mark Ruffalo signed on to star as Bruce Banner in last year’s blockbuster The Avengers, and it seems that the actor might be in for the long haul. Unfortunately, that may not mean that Ruffalo will star as the Hulk in an individual movie franchise.

Yesterday Ruffalo revealed through his Twitter feed that there are no current plans for a new Hulk movie, and that the next time he will appear as the character will be in the sequel to The Avengers.

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Mark Ruffalo
@Mruff221

A lot of folks have been asking about the Next Hulk. The next time you see my Hulk it will be in the Avengers2. No plans for stand alone.

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Follow @Mruff221

Mark Ruffalo
@Mruff221

I am not giving up on another stand alone HULK. But it’s not in the works right now. One never knows what the future will bring.

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Ruffalo later reemphasized that his statement doesn’t mean there will never be another Hulk movie:

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Mark Ruffalo
@Mruff221

Just to be totally clear. I did not say there was not going to ever be a stand alone Hulk film. I said there wasn’t one in the works now.

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Ruffalo’s tweets back up a comment made by Avengers director Joss Whedon in a recent interview with IGN. Whedon shot down rumors that the next Avengers movie would focus on the Hulk.

We got our first look at the Deadpool game at last year’s San Diego Comic Con, but we haven’t seen much from it since. The veil was lifted somewhat today in the form of a new trailer that shows more gameplay and even more of the lunacy that we can expect from what may be the craziest super hero game ever made.

There are certainly going to be better games released this year, but I have hard time thinking of any game that could be funnier than Deadpool: The Game. The only thing I can think of is a scenario where BioShock Infinite turns out to be a buddy cop comedy set in a whacky sky city instead of the critique on religious fanaticism and American exceptionalism it appears to be. Even then, Deadpool may be the funnier game.

There’s no word yet on when Deadpool: The Game will be released, but it’s coming to the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC sometime in 2013.

The leak seems to have caught Marvel and Disney off guard, because an official link to the theatrical poster for Iron Man 3 has now been posted to the Iron Man Facebook page. The poster itself has been posted at Yahoo Movies.

The poster shows Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey, Jr.) in his new gold-and-red Iron Man armor, which appears to be burned off in places. Behind him can be seen other Iron Man suits, implying that Stark and Rhodey (played by Don Cheadle) will not be the only characters using such armor.

Other teaser posters and images for Iron Man 3 have been posted to the Iron Man Facebook page throughout February, including poster’s for Guy Pearce’s Aldrich Killian, Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts, and Ben Kingsley’s villain, the Mandarin.

The movie is scheduled to be released internationally on April 25, and on May 3 in the U.S. Instead of being directed by Jon Favreau, who directed the first two Iron Man movies, Iron Man 3 will be directed by Shane Black, known for directing Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

(Image via Yahoo)

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is the cover story on this month’s Game Informer, and as such, the game will be receiving plenty of coverage over the course of the month. This may be the first LEGO game to be on the cover, and for good reason, there’s a lot of hope riding on this one. Marvel is huge today thanks to The Avengers film and a LEGO game based on the Marvel universe must be just as epic. Is Traveller’s Tales up to the task? The latest trailer can answer that question:

I’m a huge fan of LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, and LEGO Marvel Super Heroes seems to be capturing that same kind of magic. I’ve never been a huge Marvel fan, but I can’t not play this one. It’s just so charming to see The Avengers in LEGO minifig form, including Hulk.

Now the only question that remains is whether or not a game intended for children can capture the essence of Deadpool. If not, we at least still have High Moon’s gory and hilarious Deadpool game coming out later this year.

Warner Bros., Marvel, TT Games and LEGO today announced that LEGO Marvel Super Heroes will be coming out this fall for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita, and PC. It will be the first time Marvel super heroes have been depicted in LEGO video games.

“We’re very excited to bring a myriad of classic Marvel characters to life in LEGO form for some fun, family-friendly gameplay in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes,” said Tom Stone, managing director, of TT Games. “Players will brave the ultimate mission to save the world as they explore famous landmarks in LEGO New York and take the adventure beyond Earth to iconic locations in the Marvel Universe.”

Not much about the story has been revealed, but Marvel did tease that the “original storyline” will feature Nick Fury as he “calls upon Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man, Wolverine and other heroes spanning the Marvel Universe to save Earth from such threats as the vengeance of Loki and the hunger of Galactus, Devourer of the Worlds.”

“Fans of both LEGO and Marvel have wanted this game for years, and we’re addressing that demand with more Marvel Universe characters than ever in a console game,” said TQ Jefferson, vice president of Games Production at Marvel. “If you’re a fan of Spider-Man, the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Guardians of the Galaxy or scores of other Marvel characters, this is the game for you.”

Over 100 different characters from Marvel comics will be playable in the game, including Deadpool.