Following reports that Jon Favreau had been very unhappy with the way Marvel Studios interefered with Iron Man 3, particularly with how they shoe-horned in links to their other upcoming movies, but apparently not in a planned out, coherent way, many had wondered whether the director would return for Iron Man 3. Last week there was a ray of hope when he started talking about the third movie, which did make it sound like he hoped to be involved, but it turns out these were false hopes, as Favreau has now decided not to return to helm the third instalment in the superhero franchise.
It started out as a rumour over at Vulture, but was soon confirmed by Variety and others – Favreau is definitely stepping out and letting someone else take charge of Iron Man 3. However he the director hasn’t left us completely hanging himself, confirming the news via Twitter, saying Its true, Im directing Magic Kingdom, not Iron Man 3. Ive had a great run with Marvel and wish them the best.
He also spoke to the LA Times, partly to dismiss rumours it was Marvel’s intereference that had put him off returning. Instead it was because he was so excited about the possibilities for Magic Kingdom and the chance to play around with the Disney legacy, saying Between the theme parks and the movies, the Disney iconography was probably the first set of archetypes that I was exposed to. Walt was able to expose me as a child to the full array of emotions, including fear and sorrow. Those movies and attractions haunted my dreams and made a deep impression on me as a child. When I first heard about the [‘Magic Kingdom’ film] project, I was on my way to visit Disneyland with my family. I took notes and had no problem filling a book with all the ideas that this concept offered, even on first blush.”
He also adds that he has no ill will towards Marvel and remain a producer on The Avengers, thinking of his departure more as a graduation than divorce. “Marvel and I both came of age together. The years that we shared were a pivotal experience. Kevin has a firm grasp on the many franchises and how they all interweave and I am happy that I had the opportunity to establish the world that these characters can now play in . Iron Man has given me tremendous opportunities and Kevin and I are enjoying a lot of momentum in our careers thanks to the Iron Man films. I look forward to seeing what others can do playing in the same world.”
While Marvel is currently busy preapring for The Avengers, they have already set a 2013 release date for Iron Man 3, so will presumably want to find a new director fairly soon. The field is wide open as to who they might choose, and it’ll certainly be interesting to see what direction they go in.