Between such works as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dollhouse, Joss Whedon is known for featuring strong female characters in his TV shows and films.  And while The Avengers did have Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow kicking ass and helping to save the world, the film was still a festival of testosterone between Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, and pointless archer that gives Jeremy Renner something to do.  Now, Whedon says he wants to up the female hero quotient in Avengers 2.

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We get it, The Avengers—people like you.  People like you a lot.  But $1 billion in global box office receipts in 19 days?  Now you’re just showing off, Tony Stark-style.  Turns out people really, really want to see four superheroes (plus one athletic super-spy and one pointless dude with a bow and arrow) beat the hell out of New York City.

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After The Avengers hit us with a massive $207 million opening weekend (grossing a worldwide $700 million), it should be no surprise that Disney/Marvel has officially announced the obvious; a sequel is on the way.  Of course, we already knew a sequel would be on the way (Marvel rarely stops at just one, and its stars are all signed to multi-film contracts); this is simply the assurance of what we all knew would be happening.

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If the box office is any indication (and it is), a lot of you enjoyed The Avengers this weekend.  And even though the record-breaking superhero film is already 2.5 hours long, fans are already clamoring for more.  While it’s a bit early for sequel news, director Joss Whedon is promising a three-hour director’s cut of The Avengers with 30 minutes of new footage… for the film’s Blu-Ray release.

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Not that it’s any surprise, but in case you were curious, The Avengers took in nearly $20 million from midnight showings on Thursday night, entering a pantheon of memorable blockbuster films that set records for their midnight-premiere screenings: The Dark Knight, The Hunger Games and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.

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Since exploding onto the screen in 2008, Marvel’s Iron Man has imbedded himself into the pop culture. In addition to headlining two Hollywood blockbusters, the character made a scene stealing cameo appearance in 2008′s The Incredible Hulk and will be featured prominently in The Avengers, which hits theaters Friday. But with Iron Man 3 well in the works, it begs the question – “Is the character wearing out his welcome?”

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Let’s face it—one of the primary reasons for Marvel Studios recent box office dominion (Iron Man 1 and 2, Thor, Captain America, and however many millions upon millions that The Avengers will make) is Robert Downey Jr.  The charismatic actor’s winning performance in the first Iron Man is what made the film such a success, and what laid the foundation for tent-pole franchise that is now flowering with The Avengers.  As such, it’s something of a surprise to hear that Marvel’s Kevin Feige is ready to replace Downey if need be once filming wraps on Iron Man 3 later this year.

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We’re just under two weeks until the official release of The Avengers, one of the most anticipated films of 2012.  The Joss Whedon-directed superhero film features such Marvel hotshots as Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, the Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye teaming up to defend Earth from the threat posed by Thor’s villainous brother, Loki.  And in a new clip from the film, you can see how Black Widow draws a cranky Bruce Banner/Hulk into the Avengers.

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Now that Iron Man 3 is set to start production this summer, you can expect a bevy of casting news and (potentially) spoilers to start spilling forth from the Marvel offices.  Just last week, we reported that Ben Kingsley was being cast as the film’s villain (rumored to be Mandarin), and now we can report that Lockout star Guy Pearce has been given a crucial role in the third Iron Man film.

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