Downey plans more superhero adventures

Downey plans more superhero adventures

LOS ANGELES — Robert Downey Jr. will strap on his metal suit to join the superhero team effort “The Avengers” in addition to “Iron Man 2,” Marvel Studios announced Tuesday.

Downey is reprising his role as billionaire genius Tony Stark from last summer’s blockbuster “Iron Man,” with the sequel due out May 7, 2010, and “The Avengers,” scheduled for July 15, 2011.

The movies are part of a four-picture deal between Downey and Marvel.

“Iron Man” director Jon Favreau is returning to direct “Iron Man 2” and serve as executive producer on “The Avengers,” which will team the guy in the metal suit with Marvel Comics heroes the Hulk, Captain America, Thor and others.

Don Cheadle is joining the “Iron Man 2” cast as Stark’s ally Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes. Cheadle replaces Terrence Howard, who played Rhodes in “Iron Man.”

Springsteen scraps Halloween display

RUMSON, N.J. — Trick-or-treaters won’t find the light on outside Bruce Springsteen’s New Jersey mansion this Halloween.

Springsteen and his wife, Patti Scialfa, say they won’t be having their usual elaborate Halloween display featuring masked characters and decorations.

Writing on his Web site, Springsteen blames “catastrophic success.”

The 59-year-old rocker and his wife say too many visitors to their Rumson neighborhood raised concerns for the safety of children and parents.

Opening statements in Phil Spector trial

LOS ANGELES — Opening statements have started in the murder retrial of Phil Spector, the eccentric musical genius accused of killing an actress at his hillside castle five years ago.

Prosecutors on Wednesday recounted the story of the Spector going out on the town in 2003, meeting blond actress Lana Clarkson working as a club hostess and taking her home.

Clarkson died in the grand foyer of Spector’s home with a gunshot through her mouth.

It’s been a year since the jury in Spector’s first trial deadlocked 10-2 with the majority favoring conviction.

The defense in the first trial argued the 40-year-old Clarkson killed herself after becoming despondent over her fading career.

The prosecution said Spector shot her after she resisted his sexual advances, but there were no witnesses to the shooting.

Marion Jones give post-prison interview

CHICAGO — Disgraced track star Marion Jones says she often thinks she would have won gold medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics even if she hadn’t taken performance-enhancing drugs.

Jones gave her first post-prison interview on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” broadcast Wednesday.

Jones says she made a mistake by lying to prosecutors when they showed her a designer steroid and asked if she’d taken it. She maintains she thought it was flaxseed oil when her coach gave it to her.

She was released last month from a Texas federal prison after completing most of her six-month sentence for lying about steroid use.

Today’s birthdays

Singer Grace Slick is 69. Singer Otis Williams of The Temptations is 67. Actor Henry Winkler is 63. Bassist Timothy B. Schmit of The Eagles is 61. Actor Harry Hamlin is 57. Singer-guitarist Gavin Rossdale (Bush, Institute) is 41. Actress Nia Long is 38. Country singer Kassidy Osborn of SHeDAISY is 32. Actor Tequan Richmond (“Everybody Hates Chris”) is 16.