*henry/hauckjr.

As you may know, Marvel Comics is planning to release a major series of super hero movies. Marvel has commented that the films will have intertwining story lines and reappearing actors. The films include; “Iron Man 2″ (2010) & “Iron Man 3″ (2012), Thor, Captain America, and two installments of The Avengers.

The most recent releases by Marvel, “Iron Man” 1 and ”The Incredible Hulk” have both foreshadowed these events.  When Pepper Potts walks in on Tony Stark in his lab, during “Iron Man,” you can see Captain America’s Shield on his work bench. Character cameos by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in “Iron Man” and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in “The Incredible Hulk” have already made comic fanatics drool all over their popcorn.

Iron Man 2 set. Source: Jon Favreau's Twitter

Today marks the first day of shooting for “Iron Man 2.” Robert Downey Jr. returns as  billionaire weapons manufacturer Tony Stark. Gwyneth Paltrow has also agreed come back after her character, Pepper Potts, fell head over heals for Stark in IM. Don Cheadle has replaces Terrance Howard’s character Col. James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes after conflicts occurred during the shooting of “Iron Man” 1.

For the antagonistic side of the film, writer Justin Theroux is going for a triangle of villains. Mickey Rourke of “The Wrestler”, has been casted by director Jon Favreau to play the suspected main villain to Tony Stark, Whiplash. The second villain is to be played by Sam Rockwell. His character Justin Hammer is a criminal financier whom Stark is destined to butt heads with. The last and prettiest of the antagonists is the Black Widow played by Scarlett Johansson.

Most of us enjoyed the first film and have been egarly awaiting the second film to develop its beginnings. Downey Jr. recently opened up about the direction of the second film:

“We’re going for the interim space (between the origin and “Demon in a Bottle”) which is more a look behind the mask of someone who says he’s Iron Man and what it really is to become a superhero.”

You can check out Iron Man 2’s daily progress by following Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau’s twitter.