"Iron Man," "Hulk" movie crossovers hint at future Avengers film

This summer's movie season will see both Iron Man (May 2) and The Incredible Hulk (June 13). While both movies have different writers and directors, they are part of the same shared Marvel universe. And both movies are dropping hints about that shared universe and the eventual Avengers movie it will lead to.

Unlike Warners Bros's handling of DC characters, both individually and in a Justice League film, Marvel is looking to launch solo movies starring Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and the Hulk before teaming them up in the same movie with the same actors.

The seeds for the Avengers movie will appear in both 2008 Marvel movies. First up, Samuel L. Jackson will be appearing in Iron Man as Col. Nick Fury. In Marvel's Ultimates series, Nick Fury formed that particular version of the Avengers -- and Fury, as drawn by Bryan Hitch, looks just like Samuel L. Jackson, as you can see here.

Next, in The Incredible Hulk, Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) aka Iron Man, will share a scene with General Ross, played by William Hurt, confirmed this week at Sundance by Hurt himself:

"I don't know how it'll work," Hurt admitted, saying it was a thrill to appear as General Thaddeus Ross during Downey's scene. "I know it's weird [to work with a character from another movie], and to know it's a device. We did something; I don't know what that's going to be like [to watch]."

Hurt seems pretty psyched about the upcoming movie, and notes that it is a separate film from Ang Lee's failed attempt at the depicting the big, green, gamma guy. Iron Man director Jon Favreau is just as excited at the idea of the shared movie universe, and may even want to direct the big team-up movie:

In the case of Marvel they’re pretty clear on wanting to do it with the actors who’ve established the roles or to not do it at all. That’s what they’ve said to me. I think it’s a good idea if you use the characters established in the other franchises that then come together for an event. I don’t think they would do it like they’re doing ‘Justice League’ where it’s a whole different set of actors and a whole different take on the world.”

Sounds promising, but let's how these two movies do this year before we get too carried away. With the writer's strike putting the JLA movie on hold, it could -- and should? -- be a long while before we see a super-ghero team-up movie from any shared universe.