Variety is reporting that Marvel's Iron Man will premiere as a cartoon series before Tony Stark debuts on the big screen in the Jon Favreau-directed live action version on May 2nd, 2008 (see 'Iron Man Release Date Set').  Iron Man is following the pattern Marvel established for the Fantastic Four (see 'FF Toon on Cartoon Net'), which will debut on the Cartoon Network this fall, a good nine months before the second Fantastic Four live action movie opens in June, 2007 (see 'Warners Blinks').