Iron Man director Jon Favreau, who is an executive producer on The Avengers, poses on the red carpet.
Jon Favreau isn’t directing Iron Man 3, but he’ll be present on the set.
Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Favreau has closed a deal to reprise his role of Happy Hogan — the bodyguard-sidekick to Tony Stark/Iron Man, played by Robert Downey Jr. — in the Marvel Studios threequel.
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The movie began shooting Wednesday in North Carolina under the direction of Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang). It’s the first production for Marvel in the aftermath of the billion-dollar success of The Avengers.
Iron Man 3 will feature returning co-star Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts and a slew of newcomers: Rebecca Hall, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale and Ashley Hamilton.
Favreau directed the first two Iron Man movies; he appeared as Hogan in a cameo in the first movie and played an expanded part in Iron Man 2.
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It is unclear how big the role is in the third movie, but having Favreau return as Hogan seems like a sign of solidarity on Favreau and Marvel’s part and an endorsement of Black.
Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com
Twitter: @Borys_Kit
