Marvel Taunts Us!! IRON MAN Sequel Two Years Away?? THE AVENGERS In Three?? And, More!!

Merrick here...
Okay, if you were paying attention to the IRON MAN movie, you caught several references to S.H.I.E.L.D. - both oblique and pointed. And, if you were patient enough to sit through the film's closing credits (or resourceful enough to track the footage down on YouTube), you saw a post-credits tag featuring Samuel L. Jackson as S.H.I.E.L.D's Nick Fury...attempting to recruit Tony Stark, and mentioning "The Avenger Initiative". Yahoo Finance now brings us more information about how these teases may play-out in the coming years:

Marvel plans to launch its 2010 film slate with the release of the sequel, Iron Man 2, on April 30, 2010, followed by the launch of Thor on June 4, 2010. Additionally, Marvel is planting its feature film stakes for summer 2011 with an Avengers-themed summer – a two-picture project which will debut on May 6, 2011 with The First Avenger: Captain America (working title), followed by The Avengers in July 2011.

...says THIS REPORT at Yahoo Finance.