EXCLUSIVE: Jon Favreau Won't Direct 'Avengers,' Explains 'Iron Man 2' Tie-In Process
When MTV News caught up with "Iron Man 2" director Jon Favreau at the "Couples Retreat" junket a few weeks ago in Bora Bora, we were determined to get the filmmaker's take on how his much-anticipated sequel would connect with "The Avengers"—even if it took a bumpy ride in a golf cart to make the conversation happen.
Along with confirming that "Incredible Hulk" star Edward Norton won't be appearing in "Iron Man 2" and that Favreau won't be directing "The Avengers," the filmmaker shared some thoughts on his approach to making the Marvel movies all tie together.
"We want to reinforce a lot of the stuff we started to tip off," Favreau told MTV News. "'The Avengers' is a much larger concern for Marvel and Kevin Feige, who runs Marvel. They're going to be doing 'Thor' and 'Captain America,' and the way we might start to tease those things in this movie, some of it is stuff that we've discussed [and] some of the stuff you do last-minute as you figure out how that stuff is coming together."
"t's an evolving, amorphous thing," he explained. "If we decide and commit too early, the secret always gets out."
Case in point: the post-credits cameo by Sam Jackson as S.H.I.E.L.D. chief Nick Fury at the end of "Iron Man." Favreau and the studio went so far to keep the scene a secret that it was even left out of early screenings of the film for press. However, the secret still managed ot get out well before the film premiered.
"As soon as we shot the Nick Fury thing—we had a closed set and nobody was supposed to know about it—a week later somehow it was all over the internet," said Favreau. "It's a little bit of a cat-and-mouse game."
As far as his more direct involvement in "The Avengers" goes, Favreau flat-out denied rumors that he'd direct the superhero team-up extravaganza.
"They'll have to [find a different director], because I'm not going to be available," he explained. "It's something I'm being the executive producer on, so I'll definitely have input and a say."
"It's going to be hard, because I was so involved in creating the world of Iron Man and Iron Man is very much a tech-based hero, and then with 'Avengers' you're going to be introducing some supernatural aspects because of Thor," he continued. "How you mix the two of those works very well in the comic books, but it's going to take a lot of thoughtfulness to make that all work and not blow the reality that we've created."
Favreau also confessed that his focus on a single member of "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" might not be the best fit for the team-up film.
"That's why it's good that you have the guys from Marvel like Kevin Feige, who knows the books well and has been involved with the making of all the movies, and he'll be very involved with 'Thor' and 'Cap,'" said Favreau. "You need somebody who has the perspective of all the different franchises to bring them together. I have the myopic vision of just knowing and loving Iron Man."
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