At the end of "The Avengers," the members of the crime-fighting team head off in different directions. But they'll certainly be back.
"Iron Man 3," "Thor 2" and "Captain America 2" are all slated for the big screen during the next two years. And the speculative hype for additional projects has skyrocketed in light of "The Avengers' " staggering $200 million opening weekend.
"We're not shy about believing that all our characters have great stories to tell," says Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.
Iron Man will be the first to return with a solo project as his third installment begins production next month in North Carolina. Robert Downey Jr. and director Shane Black will bring back wise-cracking Tony Stark for a May 3, 2013 release.
Chris Hemsworth and Thor 2 will hit theaters Nov. 15, 2013, and Chris Evans will don the Captain America suit for his solo sequel, due out April 4, 2014.
Feige believes that the public will accept the super solo efforts even after being introduced to the supergroup.
"In the comics, readers began to understand that there are times that (the characters) all have to come together as The Avengers," says Feige. "And when they are not together, they are back in their own world."
Blogosphere speculation is centering around spinoffs that might involve Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow, Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye, Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury and Mark Ruffalo's Hulk.
While Marvel Studios is officially tight-lipped, some spinoff talks have occurred.
The producers have sort of asked me about it in some drunken nights in our European press tour, where I would like to see a new movie go," says Ruffalo.
The ultimate question facing Marvel: When's the sequel to "The Avengers"?
"A sequel was made official last week by Disney, who announced it during a conference call with analysts, the Hollywood Reporter said. The trade also reported Avengers-based attractions are in the works for some of Disney's theme parks.