Fifteen years ago, Jon Favreau was best known as the guy who directed Elf; though, some probably knew him better from Friends (as Monica’s wealthy boyfriend, Pete Becker). Having just helmed the box office bomb Zathura: A Space Adventure, few predicted the seismic impact he would have in Hollywood.
In addition to directing the first installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — launching the single biggest franchise in history — Favreau ingratiated himself even further with Disney by helming The Jungle Book (the best-reviewed live-action remake the studio has ever put out). Furthermore, he delivered The Lion King, which received middling reviews from critics, but ranks as the seventh most lucrative hit in the history of cinema.
Embedding himself deeper into the fabric of the mouse house, Favreau created The Mandalorian for Disney Plus, which rapidly snowballed into a massive roster of streaming shows will power the platform with original content for years. The 54-year-old can write his own ticket these days, but we’re hearing from sources (the same ones who told us Mark Hamill was returning to Star Wars long before Mando’s Season 2 finale) that he may return to the MCU.
Favreau has remained part of the saga onscreen as Happy Hogan, so he’s more familiar with all the major players behind the scenes, it would just be a case of finding the right project. There’s no shortage of options coming up, but given his standing in the industry, he wouldn’t likely sign on to anything unless it was something he felt strongly about.
