10. The Avengers 3
The Avengers 3; this will be the big one, presumably the end of what will have been by this point an epic ten-year saga, immaculately crafted to depict one smooth arc that fans can watch from start to finish and, unlike the comic book canon, it will all actually make sense and slot together perfectly. Joss Whedon will surely be back for a third go-around (especially if The Avengers 2 can match or exceed the enormous success of the first film), ensuring the series will remain in good hands: As we've already established, Ultron will be the main villain, and the Skrulls may also make an appearance just to pad things out, much as the Chitauri did in The Avengers. A large bulk of the narrative will see The Hulk return to Earth, following the World War Hulk comic book arc, whereby he swears revenge on The Illuminati, making way for an epic fight between Iron Man and Hulk, though in the end, Hulk will recognise the bigger threat and be instrumental in The Avengers taking care of Ultron. If Marvel can finally get their affairs in order, perhaps we might finally see the figure who fans have been scratching their heads about ever since the first Avengers started shooting; Spider-Man. By 2018, when the film will presumably come out, there will have been plenty of time to sort all of the niggling legal issues and get Spidey on-side, making the partnership as awesome and epic as it could possibly be. If Thor and Loki do reconcile in Thor 3, expect Loki to provide a helping hand at some point, an ironic counter-point given his villain status earlier in the series. What do you make of these projections? Are we on the money or just absolutely crazy? Will Spidey ever appear in an Avengers film? Let us know in the comments below.