Marvel Studios is gearing up to unleash Phase II of its multi-franchise plan with Iron Man 3 this summer, featuring the return of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. Since all of the Phase I movies teased the formation of Marvel's The Avengers, many are wondering what future glimpses at Marvel's Phase II fans will get in Iron Man 3. Without being very specific, Robert Downey Jr. teased possible appearances of Phase II characters in a recent interview. Be warned, there may be heavy spoilers for Iron Man 3 throughout the remainder of this article, so read on at your own risk.

"Everywhere you look now in every Marvel movie there are opportunities where certain new pals of his (Tony's) could be useful. So they're in the atmosphere, so to speak, but I wouldn't expect to see them on the ground in this one."

At relatively the same time, the toy company Funko released the following photo of one of their Pop! Vinyl figures for Iron Man 3, which features Tony Stark in a "Deep Space Suit."

iron Man 3 Deep Space Suit Photo

What could this "Deep Space Suit" really mean for Iron Man 3? According to inside sources, Tony Stark will in fact head into space at the end of Iron Man 3, where he will meet up with the stars of another Phase II adventure.

"According to sources, at the end of Iron Man 3, Tony actually does go up into space to hook up with the Guardians of the Galaxy where I also hear he appears at the end of that movie as well."

There is even more proof of a Tony Stark/Guardians of the Galaxy connection in the Marvel Now! Guardians of the Galaxy comic book cover.

Guardians of the Galaxy Iron Man Comic Book Cover

Are you more excited about Iron Man 3 after all this information has come to light? Let us know!