Shane Black To Direct ‘Iron Man 3’?

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was one of the films that helped change Robert Downey, Jr. from Hollywood Has-Been to the Comeback Kid. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a great film — and, more importantly, it may give us a peek at what we can expect in Iron Man 3. Why’s that? Well, Marvel Studios announced to Deadline that they are in final negotiations with Shane Black (pictured above with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang stars Downey and Val Kilmer), who wrote and directed Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, to direct Iron Man 3. Hit “more” for some additional details on this major announcement!

As I reported in December, Jon Favreau, the director of both Iron Man and Iron Man 2, will not be returning to direct the third film. Rumors suggested that Favreau exited the film either because he had less control over it due to the Iron Man series becoming entwined with the upcoming Avengers film or because his recent successes have priced him out of contention (of course, it could be both). That left the door open for Shane Black, who directed a Tony Stark-ish Downey in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and who is best known for writing Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout, and Last Action Hero. It has not been reported whether or not Black will contribute to the screenplay, but based on his writing credentials it seems very unlikely that he would not be working on the script in some capacity. If nothing else, we know Black has a relationship with Downey (reportedly Downey had to approve the director for Iron Man 3) and obviously knows a thing or two about action films, so those are two good signs right there!

Iron Man 3 is penciled in for a 2013 release as a sequel (in part) to 2012’s The Avengers. While not much is known about the film, it’s likely that we’ll see a few familiar faces (particularly Samuel L. Jackson‘s Nick Fury) in the sure-to-be blockbuster.

Is Shane Black a good choice for Iron Man 3? Give us your take in the comments below!