Anyone who already dropped hard-earned dollars pre-ordering the "Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One - Avengers Assembled" six-movie, ten-disc Blu-ray set has to be feeling at least a little Loki'd by the news that a lawsuit indefinitely delayed the release. 

There's good news today, however. 

Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions really, really want you to know that, after a lot of time spent getting a script that was up to snuff, Jack Ryan is now shooting in Manhattan.  On Friday, an official publicity still showed Chris Pine in action as the rebooted hero of many an espionage novel and movie.  In order to be absolutely certain that we're all clear on the fact that Jack Ryan is definitely, for sure happening right now, we have another image, aagain featuring Pine, this time in the company of Kevin Costner.

A month ago to the day, we learned that next year's Marvel sequel Thor: The Dark World is using the code-title Thursday Morning and will film an action sequence in the Bourne Wood, a forest near Farnham, Surrey, England.  Today, we have some thoroughly unofficial images of the location, complete with some pillars that make it look less like an ordinary forest.

Next year's Marvel Studios sequel Thor: The Dark World is adding two new villains, both of whom will be played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.

A comic-relief character is a difficult thing, always at risk of becoming obnoxious or feeling out of place, particularly in a superhero tale that jumps between cosmic happenings and a dusty desert town.  Kat Dennings demonstrated a deft touch as the quippy sidekick Darcy Lewis in Thor, and it appears that Dennings is returning with an expanded role in next November's Thor: The Dark World.

With the Thor sequel just about starting production in London, the movie has been in need of an actor to play the villain.  Anyone hoping that San Diego Comic-Con would see a casting announcement on the bad guy were disappointed when that didn't come to pass, but the news of a full title, Thor: The Dark World doubtless assuaged their grief.  Now they can move on entirely, since Christopher Eccleston has joined the cast as Malekith the Accursed, leader of the rumored Dark Elves.

Iron Man 3, the first movie of Marvel Studios' post-The Avengers "Phase Two," is about halfway through principal photography and will shoot in China later this summer.  Another sequel, Thor: The Dark World, meanwhile, is preparing to begin production in England.  Except for revealing the title at San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel's kept things fairly tight on the Thor follow-up, but a few teeny-tiny details have emerged online today.

Kenneth Branagh is both an actor and a director, so it's fitting that he'll both act and direct in the tentatively titled Jack Ryan.  Paramount Pictures is looking to reinvigorate the much-loved character from Tom Clancy's novels and four different movies, with a younger Ryan once again getting involved in international espionage.  Current James Tiberius Kirk Chris Pine is set to star as the sometimes-CIA analyst, and Branagh is in talks to go head-to-head with Pine as the film's arch villain.

Remember how Marvel Studios, Disney, and Paramount worked it all out to bring consumers a massive ten-disc, six-movie Blu-ray set that includes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and The Avengers?  The one we just saw a trailer for a few weeks ago? That one.  Well, today we actually find out just when "Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase One: Avengers Assembled" will be available for purchase.  In a bit of a consumergasm, we also get to take out first look at the set itself, including artwork for each of the individual movies.

Now that six movies of cross-pollinating franchises have paid off handsomely with a $600.4 million domestic haul — $1.4 billion global total — on The Avengers, Marvel has completed "Phase One" of it's big cinematic plan.  Marvel Studios, Disney, and Paramount have found a way to work out some delicate wrangling and will present all six Marvel movies, from Iron Man to The Avengers on a huge six-movie, ten-disc Blu-ray set.  That Blu-ray set now has a teasing trailer.