A number of people have been extremely instrumental in the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Naturally, it all started with Stan Lee and the rest of the mighty Marvel bullpen from back in the day. In terms of the films themselves, the stars that portray Earth’s Mightiest Heroes such as Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlet Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson have a very large part to play in keeping the lights on. And behind the camera, there are architects like Kevin Feige, Joss Whedon, James Gunn, and the Russo brothers who shape this world before cameras even roll. But one man really started it all by establishing the tone and laying the foundation for the MCU as we know it today. It all started with Jon Favreau and ‘Iron Man’, but the filmmaker left the Avengers behind to pursue other projects after finishing up his obligations to ‘Iron Man 2’. But now it appears that he shall return for Phase Three, although probably not in a role that you’re expecting.
Following the success of ‘The Jungle Book’, Jon Favreau is about to be a busy man. Though he has not announced the next project that he’ll be helming just yet, he is attached to a sequel featuring Mowgli, Baloo, and their jungle crew. He also has high hopes that ‘Magic Kingdom’ could move forward sooner rather than later. However, in the mean time, Favreau told Digital Spy that he will be heading back to the MCU to produce ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ alongside directors Joe and Anthony Russo:
“I’m going to be executive producing the Avengers films with the Russo brothers, which I’m very excited about. I talk to them about it all the time. I’ve worked both in front of and behind the camera with Marvel and I really love what they’re doing right now. It’s a really exciting time to be over there. I’ve seen a rough cut of ‘Civil War’ and it’s fantastic. We’re constantly looking for things to do together. And now I’m freed up.”
But if you want to get technical, he never really left. ‘Captain America: Civil War’ is the first film featuring Iron Man that he hasn’t been involved in in some way. Despite vacating the director’s chair for ‘Iron Man 3’, Favreau still appeared in that film as Happy Hogan, Tony Stark’s long-time friend and former driver/bodyguard. He was also listed as an executive producer on ‘The Avengers’, ‘Iron Man 3’, and ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’. However, he likely didn’t have much to do on any of those films. Others were there to do the heavy lifting.
But in the case of ‘Infinity War’, it sounds like he’s taking a more hands on role for the first time in a while. And considering just how much the Russos need to juggle in these two films, I’m sure that a little help is more than welcome. So while they’re out getting some assistance, why not bring in one of the people who had a huge roll in making this all happen back in the day? With their powers combined, we’re sure to get some really good stuff in the epic two-parter.
What do you think about Jon Favreau stepping back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Are you glad to hear that he’s collaborating with the Russos on ‘Avengers: Infinity War’? And do you think that this means that Happy Hogan could finally return as well? Sound off in the comments below.
‘Avengers: Infinity War Part 1’ assembles on May 4, 2018, while ‘Avengers: Infinity War Part 2’ premieres on May 3, 2019.
Despite being a “professional writer”, Ben likes run-on sentences and puns far too much. Also, the MCU definitely needs more Happy Hogan. For more of his attempts at being funny and the occasional insightful thought, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
