In what I believe is a new world record, Marvel has already confirmed and given a release date for the follow-up to the highly successful Iron Man movie that debuted only a couple of days ago. It’s understandable that they’re making a sequel since the movie has already grossed over $200 million worldwide so far, which makes it the most successful opening for a non-sequel Marvel flick since the first Spider-Man, I just think it’s a little bit too early to be talking sequels. You need to let the dust settle before you start getting into the future of a franchise.

In all honesty though, I’m pretty excited to hear that they’re already moving along with a second movie. With a number of the threads that were left hanging in the first movie, the groundwork has already been set up for a great sequel. There’s a couple of things that really stand out in my mind as must haves for the second movie:

1.) War Machine
When rumors started flying that James Rhodes would be in the first Iron Man movie, people thought right away that Iron Man’s sidekick War Machine, who is actual Rhodes in a suit similar to Stark’s, would be making a special appearance. Well, in a smart move by the writers, fans were just teased at a possible appearance in the second movie. This will arguably be the biggest draw for fans. One guy in an a metal suit was good, two will surely be better.

2.) Mandarin
The idea’s been set up, with the inclusion of the Ten Rings, that Mandarin will be making an appearance in an upcoming Iron Man movie. Since, in my opinion, Mandarin is one of Iron Man’s biggest villains currently residing in his rogue gallery, he should and probably will be in Iron Man 2.

3.) Other Heroes?
With Marvel doing many more of their upcoming movies right out of their own pocket, the ability to have multiple heroes appearing in one movie becomes much easier. Instead of selling the rights to a single character, Marvel will now be able to have an entire roster of heroes to play with for upcoming films which could see more cameos by other heroes in the second Iron Man movie.

Looking for more info on Iron Man 2? Check out IGN’s look at the sequel or check out Rotten Tomatoes article regarding Jon Favreau and the future of Iron Man. For those of you that are wondering when to expect Iron Man 2 on screen, it’ll be hitting theaters April 10th, 2010.