It's been expected for some time that the order of Marvel Studios upcoming releases would begin with "Iron Man 2," then "Thor," "The First Avenger: Captain America" and then "The Avengers."  Is it possible a third "Iron Man" could hit theaters before "The Avengers"? 

Speaking to AP about his new fall comedy "Due Date," Tony Stark himself -- Robert Downey, Jr. -- made a little slip saying "he aims to suit up for a third Iron Man flick" this fall.   Did he mean "The Avengers" or a third "Iron Man"? With a release date for May 4, 2012 on record for Earth's Mightiest Heroes it seems hard to imagine, but since the film still doesn't have a director attached anything is possible.

What makes this even more questionable is that "Iron Man" franchise director Jon Favreau is busy with a new adventure, "Cowboys and Aliens," which is supposed to start shooting this fall. Plus, Downey, Jr. is also supposed to shoot the sequel for "Sherlock Holmes" at the same time.  

Stay tuned true believers for some clarification from Mr. Downey over the next few weeks as promotion for "Iron Man 2" heats up.