Last month we learned that Shane Black (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang) had been hired to direct Iron Man 3.  However, Marvel "hadn't figured out" if Black would also write the script.  Now it looks like they've solved that problem and come to the correct answer: Black will direct and write Iron Man 3.  Black, whose previous screenplays include Lethal Weapon and The Last Boy Scout, confirmed he would write Iron Man 3's screenplay to an audience at the Omaha Film Festival.  He also revealed other interesting aspects about the film, which you can find out after the jump.Audience member "Krullboy" tells AICN:

The studio was not happy with the direction Iron Man 2 took. Iron Man 3 will not be another "two men in iron suits fighting each other" film. Instead, it will be more like a Tom Clancy-thriller, with Iron Man fighting real world villians [sic].

I have mixed views on this.  If Marvel should be unhappy with the direction of Iron Man 2, it should be with how it poorly balanced its own storyline with having to set up The Avengers.  On the other hand, I'm glad that the studio recognizes that the third film can't have yet another Iron Men battle.  However, I'm unclear as to what "real-world villains" means.  I'm going to put my faith in Black, but a "Tom Clancy-thriller" seems bland and unimaginative in comparison to what Iron Man could do.  A film where Iron Man goes around and punches terrorists seems like a waste of a superhero, especially if he's coming off the large-scale adventure of The Avengers, which brings me to the next point:

Iron Man 3 will be made after The Avengers and will not feature any other heroes from the Marvel Universe. Marvel is only doing crossover characters to lead up to The Avengers, and once that film is released, the plan is to go back to self-containted [sic] single-character stories.

No other heroes?  Not even War Machine?  Again, I have mixed feelings on this.  I'm happy that the Marvel Universe will go back to "self-contained single-character stories" (although if The Avengers is a massive hit, I'll bet that Marvel tries to shoehorn in Avengers 2 material), but the challenge is in how do you go back to a smaller story when audiences have been given the superhero movie to end all superhero movies?

I would be worried, but then I remember that Shane Black is writing and directing and all is right with the world.  Iron Man 3 is slated for May 3, 2013.