'Iron Man 3' May Tap Shane Black As Director

One week after news first broke that Shane Black was a top candidate to helm "Iron Man 3" in the wake of Jon Favreau's departure from the franchise, another report suggests the director is now in final negotiations to win the job.

Deadline reports that Black is essentially set to direct Robert Downey Jr. in the third "Iron Man" flick but that it's unclear whether he'll also pen the script. "That's not figured out," an unnamed source told the website.

A rep handling the film declined to comment, while Black's rep hadn't returned MTV News' requests for comment by press time.

Black only has one directorial credit on his résumé, but it's a potent one: He helmed 2005's "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," in which Downey starred and during which the two were said to strike up a close creative partnership.

Previously, Black was said to be in contention with other filmmakers also being eyed for the gig. What's more, it was reported that he'd also get a shot to pen a draft of the script. But according to Deadline, the screenwriting portion of Black's deal has not yet been hammered out.

Black, after all, is primarily known for his talents as a screenwriter. In the mid-'80s, he penned the script for "Lethal Weapon" and went on to write "The Last Boy Scout" and "The Long Kiss Goodnight," among other scripts. He's recently been hired to write "Death Note," an adaptation of a manga series, and a film based on the Doc Savage pulp novels.

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