Jon Favreau 'confirms Iron Man 3'

Jon Favreau has confirmed that there will be a third instalment in the Iron Man franchise, it has been reported.

The filmmaker, who is currently shooting the superhero series' first sequel, said that the trilogy may be completed before the Avengers movie goes into production, Movies Online reports.

He said: "There's an Iron Man 3. Here's how I know. When they make the option deals, they include Iron Man 3. So I know they're planning on 3. Whether that would be before or after Avengers, they've announced that Avengers is next but they pushed back The Avengers once, which I thought was encouraging."

The on-screen teaming of Marvel Comics characters such as Iron Man, Thor and Captain America will also reportedly depend upon production of upcoming films based on individual projects directed by Kenneth Branagh and Joe Johnston.

Favreau did not confirm if he will be filming the proposed collaboration, adding: "My involvement has yet to be determined on that project. You're not going to know about Thor for two years, what that really means. And Captain America, they haven't even started prepping yet. So there's a lot of discovery that has to take place before you can understand what Avengers really is."

The director recently said that the follow-up to the 2008 blockbuster may feature character Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) having difficulty handling the responsibility of being a superhero.

Iron Man 2 will be released in cinemas on May 7, 2010.