While Happy Hogan has played a kind of uncomfortable father figure in the Tom Holland-starringSpider-Manfilms, there was a time when he wouldn’t have even appeared. That’s because the original plan for Jon Favreau’s character was to die inIron Man 3, until the actor/director came up with a better idea.
While Favreau has mostly just made appearances in the latestSpider-Manmovies as well as other installments in the MCU, there was a time when he was more directly involved in how they turned out. In addition to playing Happy Hogan, Tony Stark’s personal security and sidekick, Favreau also directedIron ManandIron Man 2. However, inIron Man 3, his character’s storyline was supposed to be wrapped up after an explosion put him in the hospital and in a coma. The original plan was for Happy to succumb to his injuries, but then Favreau sent a note toMarvel Studios president Kevin Feigethat was apparently quite simple in nature. He asked the producer to let Happy live.
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ComicBook.com reported that during a live TikTok stream at theSpider-Man: No Way Homepremiere, both Favreau and Feige talked about how plans changed when it came to Happy Hogan during shooting forIron Man 3. After Feige talked about the note that Favreau sent, the actor confirmed that the exec was “not lying.” He went on to say that the people in charge accommodated his note and he is quite happy that they decided not to kill off his character.
Favreau has appeared in several other films in the MCU now that his character was allowed to live, even if he hasn’t returned to the director’s chair. His biggest role post-Iron Man 3has been as the man who watches over Peter Parker and eventually passes on the legacy of Tony Stark afterAvengers: Endgame. He’s even spent sometime in theSpider-Mantrilogydating Parker’s aunt May.
Now thatNo Way Homeis over, it’s not clear justwhat will happen inSpider-Man 4and whether Happy will continue as part of that franchise. Like everyone else in Peter Parker’s orbit, Happy no longer remembers that they were once close, so it seems hard to imagine he’ll play much of a role at all in the next installment, assuming one does come to fruition.
Considering themassive popularity ofSpider-Man: No Way Home, it seems extremely likely that Marvel Studios will work hard to get Holland into at least one more film. Fans will have to wait and see if Happy Hogan comes along with him.
Spider-Man: No Way Homeis now playing in theaters andIron Manis available on Disney Plus.
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