Speculations have been flying about Marvel’s plan to extend their film universe and this past week a few articles have brought to light some of the things they have in store. Though most of the official announcements won’t be made until Comic-Con next week, here’s what we know so far:

First up is Guardians of the Galaxy, due to release in 2014. The Guardians are 31st century heroes that defend our galaxy against various threats. The most exciting part about this development is the potential for crossover with the Avengers. The Guardians film story line is going to lead into that of the second Avengers film due out in 2015. For those of you that stayed in the theater long enough to see the cameo in the credits of the last Avengers movie, the character Thanos will be involved in the Guardians storyline.

Another Avengers tie-in that just wrapped on a test reel is that of founding Avengers member Hank Pym. Pym is a scientist that developed a serum to make himself tiny, dubbing him Ant-Man. This project has been tabled in the past, and the test reel is just the first step in getting it back on track, however with the success that Marvel has been having this year, it’s not a surprise that they are picking it back up. Director Edgar Wright shot the reel last month, but has other projects to complete before the plans for Ant-Man can be fully realized. Maybe this will contribute to an Avengers 3 storyline…

Disney is also getting in on the Marvel action. Earlier this week, Disney confirmed that they are working on an animated film based on Big Hero 6. While the Avengers are based in America, Big Hero 6 fight for the Japanese government. There’s not too much information on this project yet, but it just goes to show that Marvel are reaching deeper into their vault of characters for inspiration.

The last bit of news is on an indie film that was recently put into motion by Alan Brewer and Steven Goldman, the Human Fly. Based on a real stunt man, the character boasts a steel skeleton and performs stunts for charity. This is not a project that Marvel will be involved in, however. And really, who can blame them? They’ve got quite enough on their plates as it is.

I have to hand it to the Marvel planning team, they really know what they’re doing. If that hadn’t been obvious before with all the credit cameos they strategically throw into the end of their movies, it is becoming even more so now that we can see the plan forming for the next three years worth of Marvel films.

What Marvel project are you most looking forward to? Leave your answers in the comments!

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