It seems that Jon Favreau has his sights set on another Disney property. Having essentially launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe by helming 2008’s Iron Man, then bringing home box office glory with the studio’s live-action remake of The Jungle Book, and now directing the live-action remake of The Lion King, the actor-director will also feature in the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story, as a voice performer for an as-yet unknown character.
Favreau made the initial reveal through his Twitter account – posting a picture of himself standing with Solo director Ron Howard and writer Lawrence Kasdan. Despite his use of hashtags like #Solo and #StarWars, Howard decided to follow up the Tweet with one of his own, just to explain the situation.
Wondering why we r all together? @Jon_Favreau is voicing a very cool & important alien character for #HanSolo Flattered & fortunate I could pull him away from his #LionKing directing duties https://t.co/W5N7YoAlq6
— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) February 14, 2018
Howard’s assertion that Favreau will be voicing a “very cool and important alien character” will likely set speculation to warp speed. While the franchise is now renowned for having recognizable performers – such as Simon Pegg, Greg Grunberg, and Adrian Edmonson – crop up in minor roles, what Howard’s suggesting here sounds far more similar to Lupita Nyong’o’s turn as Maz Kanata in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, but it’s surely no coincidence that Solo star Donald Glover is also featuring in Favreau’s upcoming The Lion King.
It’s unclear as to whether this “very cool and important alien character” is one that’s been added to the story since the departure of the original directors, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, or whether it was a feature of the original script. Either way though, the involvement of the very popular Jon Favreau is sure to lend even more weight to an already intriguing next chapter in the franchise.
Of course, we’re still left to wonder who he’s playing and why he’s important, but all will be revealed when Solo: A Star Wars Story is released on May 25th.
