Unhappy With Iron Man 2, Jon Favreau Wanted To Direct The Avengers; Marvel Said No?

Unhappy With Iron Man 2, Jon Favreau Wanted To Direct The Avengers; Marvel Said No?

According to reliable sources of CinemaBlend, Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau initially wanted to direct The Avengers, but Marvel Studios said no over the typical matter; Money.

By DCMarvelFreshman - Aug 05, 2010 02:08 PM EST
Filed Under: Iron Man
Source: Cinema Blend



Marvel Studios' recent action-flick Iron Man 2 has grossed $621,166,816 world-wide, surpassing the original film. And while the film is a major puzzle piece to the eventual Avengers film, because of that it had mixed reviews. And according to CinemaBlend, Favreau was not only unhappy with the finished product, but wanted to direct The Avengers, but Marvel Studios' typical pet peeve got in the way; Negotiating

CinemaBlend says "Favreau really wanted to direct The Avengers but Marvel didn’t want to pay for him. Their negotiations with Favreau to secure him as the director of Iron Man 2 were difficult and Favreau worked out a deal that got him paid more money. Marvel wasn’t willing to pay that kind of money again when it came time for The Avengers, and so even though Favs wanted to direct their superhero team-up movie, they didn’t want him. Instead Marvel has made it a point to seek out cheaper talent to direct all of their subsequent movies. Joss Whedon was hired to direct The Avengers and while he’s a mega-talented director he’s also a much cheaper hire than someone like Favreau.

Obviously creating an Avengers film that united some of the studios' biggest properties would require tons of cash, with special effects, and of course talent. You have to cut costs somewhere and Whedon comes in.

On the story of Iron Man 2 having to be a major puzzle piece for The Avengers, Cinemablend says "Iron Man 2 wasn’t the movie Jon Favreau wanted to make. Marvel interfered heavily with his work on the movie and turned the project into an infomercial for The Avengers. Favreau felt the movie was rushed into production (and if you followed the development process you know it was) and they pushed him into making it without a fully realized script. Iron Man 2 wasn’t the movie he wanted to make and because of that, if there’s an Iron Man 3, there’s every reason to think he won’t be back. Marvel doesn’t want to pay him and Favreau may not want to deal with more Marvel interference.

Favreau wasn’t the only one unhappy with Iron Man 2, and apparently Tony Stark himself, Robert Downey Jr., saw the same problems. And as expected, “While he's locked for Iron Man 3, chances are, that will be his last movie.” And plus it's been said that the franchise would only be a trilogy.



DCMF - You can take this only as a rumor for now, but this does seem like at typically 'Marvel' act upon things. And the thing about Marvel using Avengers to interfere with Favreau's story sounds about right for how things turned out. Though Iron Man's third return won't happen anytime soon, hopefully Marvel & Favreau will make up.. If this is true. What do you think?
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LEEE777
LEEE777 - 8/5/2010, 2:09 PM
He wasn't the only one...

It had some real sh1T bits in it! : P

Hopefully IRON MAN 3: ARMOR WARS will be as good or surpass the first! ; D

Should have done a gr8 'Demon in the bottle,' for the second, just got a watered down lame version... Loved WAR MACHINE tho!

Hell yes to that WAR MACHINE spin off movie, make it a lot darker!
AVEN
AVEN - 8/5/2010, 2:11 PM
The ugly true of marvel...
P862010
P862010 - 8/5/2010, 2:12 PM
Marvel = the next FOX if they keep it up
cyclopstb
cyclopstb - 8/5/2010, 2:14 PM
But I loved the movie. I don't see anything wrong with it.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 8/5/2010, 2:14 PM
P.S. Fav should be on THE FLASH or AQUAMAN movies.... DC will leave him alone! ; P
ItsNotASchooner
ItsNotASchooner - 8/5/2010, 2:16 PM
what about Favreu's comment along the lines of

"I have a stake in Marvel's future"


I don't really buy this story at all.

I call shenanigans!!!!
ItsNotASchooner
ItsNotASchooner - 8/5/2010, 2:17 PM
And I had a blast watching Iron Man 2!!!


AVEN
AVEN - 8/5/2010, 2:18 PM
Iron Man 2 was just ok
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 8/5/2010, 2:19 PM
Well I thought it was only half the movie IRON MAN was!

It was rushed, you could see it, from plot holes, stupid bits and even dodgie CGI , plus much more!
Denn1s
Denn1s - 8/5/2010, 2:36 PM
i don't think it was a bad movie. it just needed a more cohesive script. more action too. but i thoroughly enjoyed the film. it was great and certainly one of the best superhero flicks ever. who cares if it got 7 millions less than the first one domestically? the world doesn't start and end in the usa. internationaly it made 30 millions more than the first one. that means more money, overall. they should be happy. after all, it is money they are after.
OverCross
OverCross - 8/5/2010, 2:38 PM
And I thought he was cool.
Hawksblueyes
Hawksblueyes - 8/5/2010, 2:39 PM
I watched an interview with Favs from Comic Con and he was ecstatic about his future producing The Avengers and IM3 after that. I don't remember his exact words but they were to the effect that IM and Marvel were basically responsible for where he's at today and that he would always be there for them.

I also don't see why (if he had that kind of falling out with them about directing) he would still want to be involved as producer. He wasn't too damn keen at all about working with the THOR character with magic and Godhood. He said he didn't think he could tie it in to the Iron Man universe he had created.

Downey is no spring chicken either. How many years is it going to be until we would see another IM movie after The Avengers and IM3? They may need someone else by that time anyway.

I call bogus on this report.
charbelelnasr
charbelelnasr - 8/5/2010, 2:41 PM
it made $30 million more than iron man.

Iron Man: $585 million
Iron Man 2: $615 million
LuvInMiLyfe
LuvInMiLyfe - 8/5/2010, 2:50 PM
@Denn .. Your statement about america is ironic .. only cause you got cap as your avatar. :o
ThaMessenger07
ThaMessenger07 - 8/5/2010, 2:53 PM
Iron Man 2 was as good as it gets for a movie that is intended to piece together other films. Iron Man 2 was a prequel and not a sequel. Which I have no Quarrel with.

It's like the Star Wars Episode 1-3 everyone wanted to see more Vader but that just not what the story was about. It's about before Vader comes around. Iron Man 2 was a movie that set the stone path for a greater movie. A third movie could go in it's complete own direction. They can get a little more into "Demon In the Bottle" and have a great hero climax of Tony coming to a whole and becoming an individual.

If your disappointed it's because the movie is not complete w.o the films that are on the horizon. If Iron Man 2 is half the movie of the first(which I agree), It's still a good movie. And if making Iron Man 2 being better delays the progress in the other films, then I say it's just fine the way it is.

Imagine Iron Man 2 wasn't paced the way it was? Then Avengers would be this film even more jam packed with characters and sub plots it would have been total crap! I think they did a phenomenal job and that's with them being pretty much the movie that takes one for the team.
MassExecutions
MassExecutions - 8/5/2010, 3:02 PM
No doubt this contains a grain of truth, but I bet its not as bad as it sounds.
StephenJ
StephenJ - 8/5/2010, 3:03 PM
I thought Iron man 2 was great and better than the first imo. Neither movie had a great final fight scene, and thats the main problem I saw with the movies. Both movies had great story lines and were very entertaining. and the character development really wasn't as bad as yall make it out to be.
joekerr93
joekerr93 - 8/5/2010, 3:03 PM
marvel can be a bunch of a**holes cant they? they just dont know when to leave things alone. favreau was awesome in both, but there was clearly some whoring for the avengers going on throughout, and (along with the too short action sequences) it made iron man 2 what it was. just another sequel
Sturmpionier
Sturmpionier - 8/5/2010, 3:07 PM
Why is Favreau exec producing the Avengers? Why is he continuing to talk up how he has set up for the Mandarin in IM3?
I don't doubt that Marvel interfered with adding more Avengers bits for IM2. I don't doubt that they are looking to save money on Avengers since it has the potential to be prohibitively costly. I do doubt that one movie that has made hundreds of millions of dollars turning out not exactly like a director likes would kill his relationship with the studio that made him. Seriously, what did you like better of his prior to Iron Man, Elf of Zathura? (For me, I liked Elf, lol.)
marvel72
marvel72 - 8/5/2010, 3:07 PM
i'm glad his not directing the avengers,iron man 2 isn't as good ironman.

the three best bits are the following.
1.the race track battle.
2.the final battle.
3.thors hammer.
its the bits inbetween these scenes that are just ok or passable.

i'm not to pleased with the currrent director either,but i'm gonna give him a chance.
he has written comics in the past so he has got some knowledge of what the fans might want to see.
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 8/5/2010, 3:08 PM
Great find DCMF! :)

I want to say that I'm glad he's not directing The Avengers as he really didnt do a great job of handling an ensemble cast in Iron Man 2. However, if he was rushed into it, then it's understandable why it was a little weak in parts. There was just too many characers but it was an excellent movie regardless. They just need to cut down on the idiotic Tony/Pepper mumbling improv scenes IMO and if they're going to introduce new characters like Black Widow, give her more than a few minutes of pointless screentime! :P Doubt any of this is true anyway, lol!
Denn1s
Denn1s - 8/5/2010, 3:09 PM
Luvinmylife@ hey man i know it is ironic but it is true. they whine because it made less money domestically? the movie is not meant to be watched by americans only. it is for the whole world right? and internationally it made more, so they should be happy and not bitch about it. i don't have a problem with americans. and i love captain america for what he preserves. and what he preserves is not only the american dream. let's not make this racial. i love everything american. movies, food etc
comicb00kguy
comicb00kguy - 8/5/2010, 3:10 PM
I think ThaMessenger has this thing nailed. Iron Man 2 had its part in the bigger story to tell, and it did the job. Hopefully the third film can go back in its own direction and will give us the Mandarin story I know I've waited patiently for since the first film.
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 8/5/2010, 3:11 PM
Like many, I was able to put aside my fanboy expectations and disappointments and realize Iron Man 2 was not the movie it should have been by a long shot. I really enjoyed it, and bits of it were awesome, but over all I totally believe that somewhere along the line wires were crossed and there was interference, its the only way to explain the meh-ness of the last third. Marvel are a film studio guys..first and foremost. Don't think for a second that just because they have the rights to these great characters that they care more about the fans of them than making money!
LuvInMiLyfe
LuvInMiLyfe - 8/5/2010, 3:16 PM
@Denn... I wasn't saying you where saying any thing by you comment. I just found it funny that the guy with the cap avatar said it, that’s all. Hollywood don’t care as long as they make money.
clogan
clogan - 8/5/2010, 3:23 PM
I personally think that IM2 was at least as good as the first one...
Hawksblueyes
Hawksblueyes - 8/5/2010, 3:25 PM
Poni: You and I have got to stop agreeing on things. :)

lnTylerWeTrust
lnTylerWeTrust - 8/5/2010, 3:25 PM
My personal problem with Iron Man 2 was that it wasn't epic enough. Sure it was a good movie and Iron Man is my Favorite superhero...but I just didnt feel the epicness of other films like Spider-man 1 & 2, The Dark Knight, The Incredible Hulk, etc...Hopefully MARVEL learned their lesson...and Iron Man 3 is actually epic
InFamouslyCool
InFamouslyCool - 8/5/2010, 3:28 PM
people seem to think in order to make a sequel you have to have a lot more action and explosions. but then the story always ends up being shit. LOL that's why Nolan is god.

i'd rather spend the money on the best director for the project and cut cost elsewhere.
80sFace
80sFace - 8/5/2010, 3:28 PM
I read in a Men's Health interview RDJ did a few months back that he had the worst experience in his entire life on a recent film. RDJ wouldn't tell the interviewer what movie it was, but the interviewer kept asking him and naming movies, RDJ kept saying "not that one" until they got to IM2 and he said something like "I don't want to bite the hand that feeds me."

So...RDJ definitely not happy. And given Marvel's ever increasing ego and hubris about their characters, it's very possible they're turning into super douches. That's too bad, because it'd be great if they could attract talent like Cuaron, Tarrantino, etc.
kooldeath
kooldeath - 8/5/2010, 3:37 PM
Of course Marvel is going to cut cost on every level.Look at what they did with the Hulk..took Norton out cause of money issues. Favreau would have been my first choice to direct the Avengers. Whedon is cool..but can he mesh everything together ??
jazzman
jazzman - 8/5/2010, 3:39 PM
Marvel Studio need to behave themselves. all these replacing actors i.e. Terrence Howard been replaced by Don Cheadle can also put people off.as much i liked Don Cheadle as a actor its was a big shocking that when Terrence Howard said "next time baby" in Iron Man 1, you automatically think it aint a next time for you Terrence Howard lol.
Hawksblueyes
Hawksblueyes - 8/5/2010, 3:39 PM
80s: I wouldn't doubt for a moment that Downey isn't happy. The reason he does such a good job as Stark is because he is also an egotistical, arrogant, ass, just like Stark.

Favreau is another story. I just don't buy friction between him and Marvel, at least not anywhere near the point that this article suggests.

Why can nobody seem to remember the fact that Favreau took himself out of the running as Avengers director almost immediately after the movie was announced? He didn't want any part of it. If I remember correctly, he said he understood IM's world but had no idea how they were going to go about bringing these charcters from different worlds into the same movie.
kooldeath
kooldeath - 8/5/2010, 3:41 PM
Why couldn't Marvel pay him more ? I mean what is he making to direct Cowboys and Aliens ?? Can't be that much cause because the studio that owns the rights to that don't have as much cash as Marvel.
OdinsBeard
OdinsBeard - 8/5/2010, 3:44 PM
damn norton and favs? Marvel better stop being so damn cheap or it's going to start to come across on screen. it's also going to weird seeing a different actor play every character if it continues to go like this...
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