After propelling his career forward with Iron Man and helping launch Marvel Studios on the right foot, Jon Favreau came back to helm its sequel. Iron Man 2 again succeeded at the box office but due to a variety of factors, didn't fare as well among fans and critics. It wasn't anything like the harsh response X-Men 3 got, but we can safely say that it didn't meet expectations.

Favreau later made the shocking announcement in December that he would not return to direct Iron Man 3 and later it was made official that Shane Black would step in as the replacement, but that he wouldn't be writing the script. Instead, Marvel Studios signed Drew Pearce to handle the screenplay of Iron Man 3 which left some disappointed. The latest news however, reveals that Black will likely be more involved and may be taking on co-writing responsibilities as well.

This is great news, and surely news that will put some anxiety to rest about Pearce's hiring. Pearce has significantly less writing background than Black and many were looking forward to seeing what the mind behind Lethal Weapon and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang could do with Iron Man. So when Pearce was shuffled over to the project after Marvel seemingly cancelled production on Runaways, there was a tad bit of disappointment.

This isn't really surprising news however, as Black's story ideas were going to be implemented either way, but him sharing writing duties with Pearce makes sense.

Cinema Blend has the report and heard some interesting chatter about why Pearce may have been brought in. They say it might be due to Disney's concern over the Iron Man becoming too adult with Shane Black's background and that Pearce can keep it family friendly. I don't think that's a reason at all because Black's background is exactly what the franchise needs. It's more likely that they dug Pearce's work on Runaways and wanted to utilize him on Iron Man 3 as well. The real concern will be how much time they give Black to make the movie (Favreau was overly rushed both times) and how much pressure they put on him to include certain characters or plot points that relate to The Avengers.

Bringing Black into the fold was a wise decision for Marvel Studios, since he's a man who fans can get behind with his background and his previous experience with Downey Jr., helping relaunch his career with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. His ideas to make the next film in the style of a Tom Clancy thriller sound promising as well, so we can only hope Marvel lets him do what he needs to. The film is a guaranteed sell either way, so why not?

Iron Man 3 will star Robert Downey Jr. and will likely see the return of Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg.

Share your thoughts in the comments and with me on Twitter @rob_keyes.

The Avengers hits theaters May 4, 2012 and Iron Man 3 is currently scheduled for release May 3rd, 2013.

Source: Cinema Blend