The U.S. premiere of Iron Man 3 was held last night in Los Angeles, and pretty much everyone from the Marvel Cinematic Universe walked the red carpet. Though the various actors, actresses, directors, and producers didn’t exactly have time for lengthy interviews while making their way into the theater, a couple of them did drop some interesting tidbits about some upcoming Marvel films. Gwyneth Paltrow, for one, seems to think that there isn’t going to be an Iron Man 4, and Joss Whedon provided a few more updates on The Avengers 2, even hinting at two new characters he says are in the film. Hit the jump to read on.

It’s no secret that both Paltrow and Robert Downey Jr.’s contracts with Marvel are up for re-negotiation. Downey Jr initially signed a 6-picture deal with the studio (which includes short cameos like in The Incredible Hulk), and that will be complete when he appears in The Avengers 2. While Marvel producer Kevin Feige has previously said that the studio would likely take a James Bond approach to the series when the day comes that Downey Jr. hangs up the suit, the fact remains that the actor is the face of Marvel right now, and he’s absolutely their biggest draw at the box office.

As such, many assumed that Marvel would essentially back a Brinks truck up to Downey Jr.’s house in order to have him re-up for more films. However, Paltrow doesn’t seem so sure as she dropped a bit of a bomb in a recent interview (via Bleeding Cool):

“I don’t think there’s going to be [an Iron Man 4]. I think we’re done with Iron Man.”

While Paltrow isn’t exactly the one who gets to make these decisions, the actress appears genuine when stating this (in the video at the bottom of the page), and it’s actually not too crazy to think that Marvel would move on to other properties after The Avengers 2. The studio certainly isn’t at a lack for material, and Downey Jr. has made no secret of the fact that he can only play superhero dress-up for so long.

If Paltrow’s comments are to be believed, then the last time we might see Downey Jr. as Iron Man could be in The Avengers 2. Whedon recently revealed that filming will likely begin in February, and last night he provided a status update on the script while speaking with Yahoo! Movies:

“I have actually finished a draft and I’m redoing it now. I think it’s in really good shape. We’re in a very good place… It’s going really well, eventually someone will explain to me that it’s not and pull me out of my bubble. I’ve been writing and meeting with actors and we’re starting to storyboard, all the preliminary processes. This is the part where it’s all still fun.”

While it’s a given that we’re going to see new characters in The Avengers 2, Marvel has been tight-lipped about who might be appearing. Whedon, it would appear, isn’t so secretive:

“I’ve got these two characters, two of my favorite characters from the comic book, a brother-sister act. They’re in the movie.”

It certainly sounds like Whedon is talking about Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, who are twin siblings in the Marvel comics universe. Indeed, Marvel Studios co-owns the rights to the characters with Fox, so it’s feasible to think that they might pop up in the Avengers sequel. Or Whedon could just be having fun at the expense of eager fans. Either way, we should be hearing more soon as the director moves closer towards production.

With regards to topping the first film with the follow-up, Whedon said he doesn’t really think of it that way:

“I try not to think of it as topping it. I try to think of this as its own movie. Sometime yeah, I feel pressure and by the way, Shane [Black] not helping, Iron Man 3 not helping, because I saw this and man he really got it right. But when you’re in the story and you’re dealing with these characters that you love, that everybody loves, when you’ve got the new characters sliding in next to them it’s very exciting. Then I don’t feel pressure, it’s like I’m reading my favorite comic.”

Exciting stuff, huh? Whedon certainly has his work cut out for him (especially if Avengers 2 acts as RDJ’s swan song), but I think he’s proven himself to be more than capable of stepping up to the plate.

Watch the video interviews with both Paltrow and Whedon below courtesy of Bleeding Cool and Yahoo!