First official picture from "Iron Man 3"!

After the successful premiere of Marvel Studios’ “Marvel’s The Avengers” which set the opening record of $207.4 million dollars nationally and continues to break records being the Walt Disney Studios’ biggest blockbuster globally and nationally and it’s the studio’s fifth film to earn more than 1 billion globally. The shooting of the much-awaited “Iron Man 3” begins, directed by Shane Black, in Wilmington, North Carolina. Some of the other place to shoot will be Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, Miami, Florida and China.

Based on the published comic books from 1963, “Iron Man 3” returns with Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark or Iron Man, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle as James “Rhodey” Rhodes and Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan. It will premiere May 3, 2013 in the U.S. “Iron Man 3” will be the second film complete distributed and owned by Disney, since it acquired Marvel in 2009.

‘Iron Man 3” continues with the billionaire inventor and superhero adventures of Tony Star better known as “Iron Man”. Marvel’s President Kevin Feige is producing the film, Jon Favreau, Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Charles Newirth, Victoria Alonso, Stephen Broussard and Dan Mintz are the executive producers.

The creative production team for the film include photography director John Toll winner of two Oscars, ASC (“Braveheart”, “Legends of the Fall”), design producer Bill Brzeski (“The Hangover”, “Due Date”) editors Jeffrey Ford, A.C.E. (‘Marvel’s The Avengers”, “Captain America: The First Avenger”) and Peter S. Elliot (“Fantastic 4: Riso of the Silver Surfer”) and costume designer Louise Frogley (“Quantum of Solace”, “Contagion”).

Going back in time in summer 2011, Marvel successfully took out two new franchises with “Thor” starring Chris Hemsworth and “Captain America: The First Avenger” with Chris Evans. Both movies premiered at number 1 in the box office and collected more than $800 millions globally together. In 2010 ‘Iron Man 2” starring Robert Downey Jr. Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johanson and Mickey Rourke, took first place in its first weekend collecting $128.1 million nationally.

In summer of 2008 Marvel produced two blockbusters “Iron Man” in which Robert Downey Jr first invented his superhero’s armor and also starred Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow; it opened May 2 2008 and right away was extremely successful and remined at number one for two consecutive weeks collecting more than $100 million in its first weekend. “The Incredible Hulk” was the other blockbuster” opening June 13 2008, showing its second number one opening that summer.

Now we have to wait and see how successful this third part of the “Iron Man” franchise will be.