Jon Favreau may have been busy exploring the intergalactic possibilities within the Star Wars realm in recent years. Nonetheless, this actor remains a prominent presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as well, having worked behind the scenes while also playing the role of Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey, Jr.) chauffeur (and right-hand man) Happy Hogan.
As fans may recall, Favreau is among the few actors who had been with the MCU from the very beginning. And in fact, he could have even directed the first Avengers movie, although the job had eventually gone to Joss Whedon.
His MCU Involvement Began With Iron Man
It’s hard to believe that the MCU started a little over a decade ago with nothing but a pipe dream. Around this time, Marvel Studios president and CEO Avi Arad had gotten the rights to both Iron Man and the Hulk and they were looking to do something with the characters. “There was a sense that comic-book movies had run their course,” Favreau recalled while speaking with Entertainment Weekly. “And we were marching out the B-list heroes and trying to release films at a more modest budget.”
With Downey as the lead star and supported by a stellar cast included Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges, the 2008 film Iron Man practically defied expectations, hauling in an estimated $585.8 million against a budget of around $140 million. Its success prompted the release of Iron Man 2, which Favreau happily helmed again. Unfortunately, this film didn’t do as well as the first. Nonetheless, this movie was eventually followed up by a third Iron Man movie, although Favreau was no longer directing.
Why Didn’t Jon Favreau Direct The First Avengers Movie?
Over the years, there had been whispers that Favreau wasn’t interested in directing The Avengers (or even Iron Man 3 for that matter) after Iron Man 2 failed to do as well as Iron Man. However, Favreau reveals that there were other things that factored into his decision of walking away the MCU directing chair around the time that they were hard at work on the production of The Avengers. Simply put, Favreau just didn’t have the time.
“They'll have to [find a different director], because I'm not going to be available,” Favreau explained while speaking with MTV News in 2009. “It's something I'm being the executive producer on, so I'll definitely have input and a say.” At the same time, he also explained that he might not actually be the best director for the job given that he naturally favors Iron Man compared to other MCU superheroes. “You need somebody who has the perspective of all the different franchises to bring them together,” Favreau further explained. “I have the myopic vision of just knowing and loving Iron Man."
While speaking with Thrillist, Marvel Studios president later revealed that they had started talking to Whedon about the first Avengers movie while they were working on the first Thor and Captain America films. Right off the bat, Marvel boss admired how Whedon “was into it and saw through it.”
Here’s What He’s Said About Directing For The MCU Again
Despite his insanely busy schedule, fans still kept wondering if Favreau would helm another movie for the ever-growing MCU. Since he first became involved with Marvel, Favreau has been credited as an executive producer for all the Iron Man and Avengers movies. Hence, it was always within the realm of possibilities that he would decide to direct an upcoming MCU film himself.
When asked back in 2016, Favreau’s answer was rather non-committal. “We’re always trying to figure out if there’s a way for me to contribute beyond just being an executive producer there,” he explained while speaking with IGN. “I wouldn’t be surprised if something pops up soon, but there’s no one property that we’re identifying that I’d want to helm up and shoulder.” Meanwhile, he also praised Marvel and its ability to hire “the right kinds of filmmakers.” Favreau even that he “couldn’t be more impressed” with the Russo brothers' Captain America: Civil War and James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
Will He Ever Reprise His Role As Happy Hogan In The MCU?
In recent months, there had been rumors that Favreau’s Happy will be appearing in the upcoming film, Spider-Man: No Way Home. Murphy's Multiverse has even reported that Favreau’s return to the Spider-Man franchise is confirmed Marvel is yet to reveal the movie’s complete set of cast (or even its trailer). That said, it would make sense for Happy to appear in this Spider-Man installment since he was supposed to be seeing Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) when Spider-Man: Far From Home ended.
At the moment, it seems Favreau is busy at work on his Star Wars projects, namely the third season of The Mandalorian and the highly anticipated spinoff, The Book of Boba Fett. Not to mention, Disney also announced that Favreau is also bringing another live-action Star Wars series to Disney+ called Rangers of the New Republic. Fortunately, all these projects are under Disney, which can make it easier for Favreau to becoming more involved with the MCU when needed. Of the franchise’s success, he also once remarked that he’s a “proud grandpa.”