Spider-Man: Homecoming is starting to feel a little bit like Iron Man 4. OK, that's an exaggeration, but we knew that Marvel and Sony's first joint Spider-Man adventure was going to have Robert Downey Jr. in place as a bridge between Homecoming and the MCU, and then we learned that Happy Hogan, beloved bodyguard to the boisterous Tony Stark, would have a role as well. But how big of a role? That was a mystery.
Luckily, I happened to hop on the phone with Jon Favreau in support of his movie The Jungle Book on the same day that footage from Spider-Man: Homecoming screened for comic book fans in Brazil. Chatter on Twitter suggested that Favreau had a big part to play in the Homecoming footage, so I asked him what Happy's role would be in the upcoming Spider-Man movie. And Favreau told me:
I'm like... I'm looking after him. He needs someone to help him out.
This suggests that Happy Hogan will serve as way more than just a cameo role in Spider-Man: Homecoming. And where there's Happy, there's usually Tony. Hogan has been fighting alongside his boss since the first Iron Man days (when Jon Favreau also served as a director). The manservant was waylaid in Iron Man 3 after an encounter with a powerful villain. But this sounds like Happy Hogan will be part of the action with Peter Parker swings in battle in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Could Spidey even share a fight scene or two with Iron Man? If they're trying to keep pace with Captain America: Civil War, then including an Avenger only makes sense.
Reflecting on the film shoot for Spider-Man: Homecoming, Jon Favreau told me:
I had a lot of fun on that movie, working with Robert [Downey Jr.] and everything. It was a good time, and I liked the whole gang. It was really terrific.
Naturally, Jon Favreau helped kick off the Marvel Cinematic Universe, directing Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man and Iron Man 2 before passing the baton and returning, as an actor, whenever he was needed as Happy Hogan. Sony and Marvel confirmed his presence in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and now we know that he'll be assisting Tom Holland's wall-crawler at some point throughout the film.
When will we see the first Spider-Man: Homecoming footage? Soon, I'm hoping. If I had to guess, I'd say that the trailer could be attached to Disney's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, or Sony's Passengers, each in theaters later this month. We'll bring you the coverage as soon as we see it. For now, what are your thoughts on Happy Hogan's return?
