"The Walking Dead" returns this fall.

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that "The Avengers" places pretty high on the worldwide box office list based on the fact it's already raked in over $1 billion worldwide, but it is now the ninth highest grossing movie of all time. Not too bad for a film that's been out for less than two weeks.

So it stands to reason that "The Avengers" will probably make even more money during the rest of its run in theaters. Experts are saying that the ensemble Marvel superhero film is slated to pass "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2's" $1.32 billion gross, placing it as the number three highest grossing movie of all time.

Thanks to that giant cash grab, The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Robert Downey Jr. is on par to make over $50 million for his role in the film. The 47-year-old negotiated a deal to take in a slice of Marvel's revenue from movies where he plays Tony Stark following "Iron Man's" success. That means that the man in the iron mask will end up making around 25 times the amount his costars Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner made, THR reports.

So it seems like Disney's $4.3 billion acquisition of Marvel back in 2009 was a good idea after all. Some analysts even tell THR that Disney chief Bob Iger underpaid for the studio that would end up making them so much money.

"There are not only going to be three or four sequels to The Avengers, but this builds up the brand equity of all the characters in the movie," one veteran industry executive said. "Mark Ruffalo actually has a shot at a Hulk movie. It's clear it was a good purchase."

The key to Disney's success in the past is that all of their movies are marketable beyond what's shown on the big screen. There can be action figures, cruises and attractions built at the various Disney theme parks, plus any future films that are made. And with Marvel's vast library of characters and stories, there's plenty there to draw from.

Are you surprised "The Avengers" has become a success in so many ways? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

You've all seen "The Avengers" by now, right? If you haven't, time to turn away. We're delving into spoiler territory with this post, covering one of our very favorite characters from the movie, reliable S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and comic book fanboy Agent Phil Coulson. He's got a big role to play in "Avengers," and we're getting into that in depth beyond the break.

So, final word of warning: spoilers ahead!

Still with us? Cool. Agent Coulson's death is easily the saddest aspect of "The Avengers," removing one of our favorite Marvel movie universe players from the board for good. Or is he gone for good? One of our favorite theories is that Coulson will provide the basis for Vision in a future film (more on that below as well as in future posts). Another good theory is that we'll see a life model decoy of Coulson in future Marvel movies.

Quint at Ain't It Cool posted a theory of his own recently, and the theory caught the attention of Coulson actor Clark Gregg. He spoke with AICN about all the conspiracy theories surrounding Coulson's death, giving no secrets away but expressing his deep gratitude for the attention his fan-favorite character has received.

"I love all of those theories," he said. "I never know what Marvel is going to do, but I have to kind of feel like I’m trying to do my own business with 'I probably won’t get to play this guy again.' I love it, who knows? Who knows what the fans can make happen, you know what I mean? That would be hilarious to me if the fans somehow managed… It would be the fans who brought Coulson back to life, but I don’t think there’s any plans. They’ve got enough superheroes to now bring in to take his place, you know?"

Sure, there are plenty of heroes yet to come in, but a Coulson-modeled Vision would be an easy way to introduce a new fan-favorite character while honoring a fallen one. People love seeing Gregg in these movies, and even if Coulson's dead, he'd be the perfect model for Vision. Given Coulson's Captain America fandom, and a "Captain America" sequel coming up in 2014 that'll feature S.H.I.E.L.D. in a meaningful way (according to previous comments from Kevin Feige), wouldn't Vision popping up in the next "Cap" movie be an appropriate tip of the hat to the deceased agent? It would certainly be a trip for Steve Rogers to work alongside a "resurrected" version of his biggest fan.

(For the record, no, I don't think Coulson himself should become Vision; just that he inspired the design. I'm thinking along the lines of (dare I say it) "Aliens vs. Predator," how the human Charles Bishop Weyland inspired the android Bishop in the "Aliens" era… except, you know, not stupid like "AVP." You know what I mean.)

Anyway, the full interview with Gregg is really great. Go over and give it a read.

Will Gregg return for another Marvel movie down the line? Let us know your theories in the comments section or hit us up on Twitter!

The cast for "Iron Man 3" keeps getting stronger and stronger. Already the list of new recruits includes Sir Ben Kingsley, Guy Pearce and Rebecca Hall. Returning players Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle are all in the mix as well. Today, we can add a new actor to the cast list, someone who isn't a big name like the aforementioned folks, but is a very bright star all the same.

James Badge Dale, best known for television efforts "The Pacific" and "Rubicon," has been cast in the third "Iron Man" film, reports Deadline. He'll play a villain named Savin, who eagle-eyed fans will quickly identify as Lieutenant-Colonel Eric Savin, aka Coldblood.

In the comics, Savin is investigating the top-secret development of super-soldiers when he's killed by a landmine. His body is retrieved and reanimated, and he's turned into a cyborg soldier designated Coldblood-7. Without his memories, with no sense of who he was before, Coldbood quickly becomes problematic for anyone who crosses his path.

Will "Iron Man 3" follow the same origin story for Savin? It's possible, but considering that the story is supposedly taking its cues from the "Extremis" comics written by Warren Ellis, it's likelier that he'll tie into the revolutionary technology developed by Pearce and Hall's scientist characters.

No matter how Savin factors into the proceedings, Dale's hiring is a fantastic call. "Rubicon" was tragically short lived, but between his upcoming turn in Disney's "The Lone Ranger" and now "Iron Man," it's clear that Dale's star is on the rise. As a deep-cut "24" fan, I'm always happy to see the former Chase Edmunds getting more work. Let's see how this one goes for Mr. Dale.

Tell us what you think of JBD's casting in the comments section and on Twitter!

"The Walking Dead's" 100th issue comes out on July 11, a date that just happens to be the same day as San Diego Comic-Con's Wednesday preview night. Though we doubt that series creator Robert Kirkman planned that perfect overlap back when he first started writing about the zombie apocalypse, he has announced today that he and his Skybound imprint are going to take advantage of it by holding a zombie obstacle course during Comic-Con at San Diego's Petco Park.

The news comes thanks to Entertainment Weekly, who revealed that the event will be called "The Walking Dead Escape: Live the Apocalypse." All fans -- not just Comic-Con attendees -- will be able to participate as a survivor in avoiding zombies in the "evacuation zone" by climbing, crawling and sliding their way through the obstacle course.

“Our fans have been reading about it, watching it and now they get to live it with The Walking Dead Escape,” said Kirkman in a statement. “We are literally transforming Petco Park into the early days of society’s collapse and San Diego is just the first city to fall.”

We bet Rick, Carl and the rest of "The Walking Dead" gang wishes they had an obstacle course to help them to prepare for the impeding zombie apocalypse. The course will be up in Petco Park from July 12 to 15 (the entirety of Comic-Con), so bring your best running shoes and see how well you'll fare against the zombie infestation.

And though we can't guarantee it, we bet the cast of "The Walking Dead" will participate in this event in some way as well. AMC hasn't announced a Comic-Con panel for the show yet, but between the great reception it received last year and the fact that the graphic novel's 100th issue is coming out at the same time, it's basically a guarantee. We would love to see Andrew Lincoln, Steven Yeun and Norman Reedus slip-sliding around alongside fans while trying to avoid whatever zombies Kirkman hires infects for the event.

Would you take part in The Walking Dead Escape"? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Marvel hasn't necessarily become known for director consistency. After Jon Favreau directed the first two "Iron Man" movies, the studio turned to Shane Black to helm the third. Kenneth Branagh directed "Thor," and now Alan Taylor is in charge of "Thor 2." Joe Johnston did "Captain America: The First Avenger," and it's looking unlikely he'll be back for its sequel.

So will Joss Whedon be the exception to the rule? Maybe, especially considering the success "The Avengers" has had since its release. But the real question is whether Whedon will want to come back for the sequel. The Los Angeles Times posed the question to Whedon, and his answer might surprise you.

"You know, I’m very torn. It’s an enormous amount of work telling what is ultimately somebody else’s story, even though I feel like I did get to put myself into it. But at the same time, I have a bunch of ideas, and they all seem really cool," he said.

That's disheartening, but hopefully this is just his post-release exhaustion talking. Maybe if Whedon goes off and does another one of his own projects for now (he already did "Much Ado About Nothing"), he'll be more interested in coming back for "The Avengers 2" a couple years down the road.

It's also worth noting that even though "The Avengers" was based on someone else's material, it was Joss Whedon who wrote the movie's script. It has his creative stamp all over it, and that's largely one of the reasons the flick was such a success. Hopefully Marvel will agree to let him have the same amount of creative control on the upcoming sequel (which may or may not come out around 2015), and that will draw him back in.

Somewhat unrelated, Whedon also indicated to the Times that of all his creations ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel," "Dollhouse" and now "The Avengers"), he loves "Firefly" the most.

"You know, I love all my raggedy children," he said. "But if I could be anywhere, I’d be on board Serenity."

Us too! Sequel, please? Please?

Would you see an "Avengers 2" that wasn't directed by Joss Whedon? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

The trickster god brought his malicious brand of mischief to bear upon Earth in "The Avengers," showering the citizens of New York City with Chitauri and leviathans galore. Thankfully, Earth's mightiest heroes were on hand to stop him, and now Loki's serving as Thor's prisoner, on his way back to Asgard even more disgraced than when he last left it.

Can Loki win his way back into Odin and Thor's good graces? Seems hard to believe, but we'll find out for sure one way or the other in "Thor 2," hitting theaters in November 2013. MTV News caught up with leading man Chris Hemsworth at the "Snow White and the Huntsman" premiere in London this week, and he shed some light on how the dynamic between Thor and his vicious little brother might play out in the developing sequel.

"It's what I loved about the comics. It was never clean and cut and that's it," he said about whether or not Thor and Loki would repair their damaged relationship. "It was always like, Thor would forgive him, they'd be friends, and Loki would betray him again. 'You idiot, Thor! Again?' But it was different than your normal good guy, bad guy scenario. They're brothers, you know? Anyone with siblings understands that. 'That's it, I'm never talking to you again… want to play football?'"

Football doesn't seem like it's in the cards for Thor and Loki — the former's got a bit of an advantage over his scrawny younger sibling anyway, right? — but there are other ways that Loki can win Thor's trust back, Hemsworth said.

"He's got to apologize, doesn't he? Baked goods. Muffins or something," he joked. "That would be a bribe we could start with. Beyond that, I don't know."

Tell us what you're looking forward to out of the continued Thor-Loki relationship in the comments section or on Twitter!

The Jade Giant's small screen prospects took a turn for the optimistic yesterday when ABC Entertianment President Paul Lee revealed that a "Hulk" television series will hopefully be ready for the 2013 - 2014 season. But where Bruce Banner rises, Jessica Jones falls, it appears.

"AKA Jessica Jones," based on the "Alias" comic books penned by Brian Michael Bendis, will not be moving forward at ABC, Lee confirmed in a conference call (as reported by the New York Daily News). No particular reason was given for the decision to pass on the project. Lee added that while "Jessica Jones" is not dead, it's no longer a top priority for the network.

"Other projects are more toward the front of the queue now," he said.

Other projects, you say? Such as…? Well, not "Punisher," that's for sure. As we mentioned in yesterday's report, the ABC Studios and Fox effort to bring Frank Castle to television screens is no longer moving forward either. Also as I said yesterday, that's probably for the best; the pitch for the show did not sync up with what many fans would hope for from a "Punisher" show. Here's hoping it gets another chance somewhere else — FX perhaps?

Meanwhile, while we await word on which Marvel Comics properties are being mulled for television, Lee simply assured that "We've got some in development, but none that I can talk about at this point." Oh, you TV networks and your big secrets!

Tell us which Marvel projects you want to see on television next in the comments section or hit us up on Twitter!

It goes without saying that directing a film featuring a beloved character like, say, the Amazing Spider-Man comes with power. But do you know what comes with power? Marc Webb certainly does.

In a new video feature from Sony's make.believe campaign, the director of the upcoming Marvel reboot, "The Amazing Spider-Man" explains what it's like to create on the scale of the wall-crawler.

"In terms of creating something like 'Spider-Man,' there's a level of complexity, which it can be satisfying and challenging all at the same time," Webb said. "First, you have to feel something. You have to feel a sense about what you're trying to create. Once you have that feeling, it's about protecting that all the way through the process."

Check out the new video after the jump!

As awesome as it would be to direct a "Spider-Man" film, we don't necessarily envy Webb and his "limitless inspiration," but the man certainly seems to have a grasp on what he needs to do.

Thanks to SuperheroHype for the heads up!

What did you think of the Marc Webb featurette? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

With the third season of "The Walking Dead" already shooting, we're all interested to see how showrunner Glen Mazzara can amp up this next season to pack an even stronger emotional punch than its predecessor.

Mazzara and writers Scott Gimple and Angela Kang participated in a new Nerdist podcast to talk about the process of making season two and what we have in store for season three. The hour-long chat is definitely worth a listen if you're a fan of the series, but we've parsed out some of the meatier bits for your reading pleasure.

Mazzara addressed the recurring criticism that the first seven episodes of "The Walking Dead" were paced too slowly. He said that those were the episodes that were arced out before former showrunner Frank Darabond left the series, and that the writing staff were "flying by the seat of our pants" after his firing.

"I felt that that criticism of it moving slow, I only buy that criticism so much," he said. "I don't think the show moves slower than any other show on TV, any other character drama. The problem with this particular show or that expectation, is this is a marriage of a character drama and a horror show. So there's this added expectation."

He also touched upon the deaths of two main characters (spoilers! Dale and Shane) that occurred towards the end of the season. While the Shane death was always intended to happen, the Dale death didn't get greenlit until after Darabont was fired.

"Originally we came up with the idea of killing Dale. Frank didn't want to do that," Mazzara said. "So we backed off that storyline and then I became showrunner and I was like, 'Oh, what do we do? It's all on the table now.' We knew we were going to get to the Shane death and the Shane death was going to play in the finale as it was scripted in the comic book."

Fans who are worried about season three starting off as slow as season two, Mazzara says your fears are unfounded.

"People are now reading the script for the season premiere of season three, and they're just like, 'Wow, it's balls out, it's fast, it's moving,' and we're not taking our foot off the gas. We're just going to keep going," he teased.

[Source: Newsarama]

What do you think of Mazzara's assessment of season two? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!