Jon Favreau Talks "IRON MAN 2", And "DARK KNIGHT!!!!!!!"

by **J The Kidd** Fri Oct 03, 2008 2:05 am

“Iron Man” director Jon Favreau had plenty to say about the film
future of Marvel’s armored hero during a live, online Q&A session
with fans, including some hints about the storylines that will drive
“Iron Man 2,” the characters — both good and bad — that could make an
appearance, and how he feels about the other big superhero movie that
hit theaters this year.

“Mandarin is still an important figure in the Iron Man universe,”
wrote Favreau during the live chat hosted by the LA Times’ Hero Complex
blog. “We have an interesting take on him that allows us to incorporate
the whole pantheon of villains. The whole 10 Rings thing in ['Iron
Man'] was a good tease for it.”

Later in the chat, when asked by a fan if there was any thought given
to introducing a female villain such as Madame Masque, Favreau seemed
to spark what’s likely to be the next big “Iron Man” rumor, responding,
“Female villain… Now there’s an interesting notion.”

As for the storyline of the “Iron Man” sequels, Favreau wrote that Tony
Stark’s decision to reveal his identity at the end of the first film
would drive the plot for following films.

“The sequel is shaping up to incorporate Tony’s vision for the future,”
wrote Favreau. “What happens after he says ‘I am Iron Man?’ … He
announced who he was and we have now officially departed from the
standard secret ID superhero. Tony was already famous before the
announcement. What would really happen if this went down? Fun to
explore.”

Favreau seemed to downplay the likelihood that future films would touch
on Stark’s famous “Demon in a Bottle” battle with alcoholism, writing,
“That’s part of who he is. I don’t think we’ll ever do the ‘Leaving Las
Vegas’ version, but it will be dealt with. ”

After initially embracing the notion of IMAX for “Iron Man” sequels,
Favreau seemed a bit more hesitant to embrace the technology during the
chat, telling a fan it was “tough to actually shoot in IMAX when you
have a CG hero much of the time. The effects become very expensive and
may not look as good in the higher resolution. [It] worked very well
for ["'The Dark Knight'], though.”

And that wasn’t the only mention of “Dark Knight” during the
conversation, as fans pressed Favreau for his thoughts on the
blockbuster film that knocked “Iron Man” out of the spotlight and asked
him to compare the two comics-savvy projects.

“We are very different films,” wrote Favreau. “They are similar as far
as the underlying material, but are different in personality. I think
they reflect the tastes of the filmmakers.”

Favreau wrote that the success of “Dark Knight” essentially “took the
spotlight off us,” adding, “I would be happy to be Pepsi to their Coke
for the next ten years. ‘The choice of a new generation!’”

Asked whether the May 7, 2010, release date for “Iron Man 2” is
feasible, Favreau said the date is “daunting,” but “we are making much
faster progress than the first time around and have much less to design
and fewer casting issues.”

“I am confident that 2010 is achievable if we continue working together
as we have for the past few months,” wrote Favreau. “It has to be
great, though. It has to be great.”

Supporters should expect to see more of Samuel L. Jackson and his
portrayal of S.H.I.E.L.D. chief Nick Fury, too, as Favreau told one
participant in the chat, “[S.H.I.E.L.D.] is important to the franchise,
and what is S.H.I.E.L.D. without Fury?”

Along with Fury, several participants asked about a potential
appearance by another fan-favorite character, War Machine — to which
Favreau responded, “We need War Machine. Agreed. Shoulder cannons and
all.”

Questioned about who else might have played Tony Stark if not Robert
Downey Jr., Favreau name-checked “Choke” star Sam Rockwell as one of
the actors he considered for the role. (And just to show you that
everything is related, MTV News spoke with Rockwell about almost being
The Hulk earlier this month, while “Choke” was adapted and directed by
“Iron Man” actor Clark Gregg! And now you know!)

One music fan in the chat asked Favreau about the contributions of Rage
Against the Machine band member Tom Morello to the “Iron Man” score, to
which the director responded, “I’ve known Morello for many many years.
He has always been a huge [Iron Man] fan. He was nice enough to lay
down some guitar for the score.”

Asked what comics property he’d like to tackle outside of “Iron Man,”
Favreau wrote, “The only other comic character I would do is Groo.”
(You’re going to have to fight Rian Johnson for that one, Jon.)

Finally, Favreau had quite a bit to say about collaboration between
filmmakers helming the slate of Marvel Studios films for the next few
years, writing, “I think its important for all filmmakers working for
Marvel to collaborate so there is a consistency in the films, so yes
they should keep in touch.”

“I had not been in touch really with Louis [Leterrier] during ‘Hulk’
and I think that would have been helpful,” he added. “I hope to be in
contact with directors in the future.”

“Now that Marvel is making its own movies, every movie has to fit into
the Marvel universe. The Avengers incorporates not just Iron Man, but
Thor, possibly the Hulk and traditionally Captain America as well,”
continued Favreau. “As it is, it’s scheduled ‘Thor’ will come out the
same summer as ‘Iron Man 2’ and ‘Captain America’ will come out a few
months before ‘Avengers.’ All the films have to come together to create
a consistent universe. That’s very important to everyone involved.”