Update: Marvel has confirmed via a press release that Patty Jenkins will direct Thor 2. Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman and Tom Hiddleston will all return.
No matter how The Avengers turns out, Disney and Marvel still have massive plans to continue their mega-franchise. There are plans for another Captain America, while Shane Black‘s Iron Man 3 is set for May 3, 2013. The latter had a summer buddy with Thor 2, but the blockbuster has moved from a July release date to November 15, 2013.
Directed by Monster helmer Patty Jenkins, the only competition so far that month is the animation Me and My Shadow a week before and The Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire a week later. We got a little hint at what the plot for Chris Hemsworth‘s next adventure might be when Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said he will “take Thor literally to other worlds.” Road trip!
In other Disney news, they’ve pushed Gore Verbinski‘s The Lone Ranger from December 2012 to May 31st, 2013. We highlighted all the new details including budget cuts for the troubled pre-production last night, which you can read here.
The Johnny Depp western has no direct competition yet, but Fast & Furious 6 will open a week before and M. Night Shyamalan‘s Will Smith sci-fi vehicle 1000 A.E. hits the following week. Production on The Lone Ranger begins February 6th, 2012.
The studio has also set a date for their feature adaptation of the popular TV show Phineas and Ferb in Thor 2‘s previous date of July 26, 2013. I’ve never heard of the children’s series but the plot “follows two stepbrothers who find inventive things to do on each day of their summer vacation such as building a roller coaster out of materials you would find in your everyday home like Popsicle sticks, indoor plumbing, etc. Unbeknownst to them, their pet platypus, Perry, leads a double life as a secret agent.” The playful nature of it sounds fun and with the Disney touch, it could be an inventive feature.
What do you think of the release date shuffling? Are you looking forward to Thor 2 or Lone Ranger more?