Nobody seems to have officially signed for ‘Iron Man 2,’ according to director Jon Favreau. In all his interviews he talks like is currently been left in the dark by Marvel. Or is he just playing his audience? Is he just trying to get a bigger paycheck after the first success? Or does Marvel want some fresh blood and replace the director? Now that would be harsh.

In any case, Tony Stark’s buddy Terrence Howard is saying HE will be shooting ‘Iron Man 2′ March next year, according to an article at Military.com. This gives Marvel some time to get the final contracts ready. But with pre-production and all, I’d say at least the director should have signed this fall.

Marvel isn’t shy about updating us on their business plan, as we saw in the past. And this time they’re sharing their brand expansion plan. “We’re not in the business of simply making films; we’re in the business of building brands,” Marvel Entertainment president Paul Gitter said. The comic book company is planning to have an even bigger merchandising campaign for their ‘Iron Man’ DVD release this fall, than the theatrical release last month.

Gitter even wants to “create specific programs for each retailer,” he said. “Our strategy is to place product into the marketplace prior to a film’s releasing and to keep it [there], then to freshen up the product with new styles and new art in time with the DVD release.“

But not only that. Marvel has a three-year strategy for all their currently planned films. 1. Release the movie in theaters and on DVD, with marketing well in advance. 2. Expand with a supporting animated release. 3. Release the sequel to the first movie.

With ‘The Incredible Hulk’ coming up, Marvel seems to be hitting the gold by making their own movies. But can they keep it up? And are they expecting ‘Thor,’ ‘The First Avenger: Captain America,’ ‘The Avengers’ and all their sequels to be a success?

Omelete scored two exclusive ‘The Dark Knight’ banners. It shows the great distinctive style of the $150 million Batman movie. This will likely be the next ‘Iron Man’ in terms of box office. It may even fly past the Marvel hero, since sequels tend to do a little better in the theaters. And if one movie got positive buzz on the internet these days, it’s ‘The Dark Knight.’

Christian Bale and Heath Ledger will hit the theaters July 18.