Iron Man 3 needs a new director, as Jon Favreau opts to make Magic Kingdom for Disney instead…
As he continues to work on his next film, Cowboys & Aliens, some had assumed that once he was done and dusted there, Jon Favreau would jump straight back to the good ship Marvel for more Iron Man duty. Favreau, to date, has directed the first two Iron Man films, and when it was announced that the third movie was due for release in May 2013, it was assumed that the job was his if he wanted it.
Turns out, he doesn't want it. Or he's too expensive for it, believing which variant of the story you go for.
Vulture is reporting that Favreau has informed Marvel Studios that he's stepping away from the franchise, and won't be directing Iron Man 3. Favreau had hinted that this might be the case earlier in the year when quizzed about the project, and he himself has now confirmed the news on his Twitter feed, stating that "It's true, I'm directing Magic Kingdom, not Iron Man 3. I've had a great run with Marvel and wish them the best."
Magic Kingdom is a fascinating looking project, billed as a fantasy adventure that will dig into Disney's heritage. We'll be talking about it a lot in the months and years ahead.
For Iron Man 3, however, there's little doubt that Favreau is a major loss to the franchise. And rumours of his departure had been circling earlier in the day. Vulture had been suggesting before it broke the big story that money was a factor, with the notoriously frugal Marvel basically hunting for a cheaper director. It now says in its story, however, that "It's unclear whether the impasse was financial or creative or both."
Whatever the reason, Favreau's departure is Iron Man's loss, and very much Magic Kingdom's gain...
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