Following news earlier today that Iron Man director Jon Favreau would not be returning to direct the third film, currently set for 2013, the director spoke with Hero Complex about his decision. Favreau says he remains close to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, but wanted to make Magic Kingdom for Disney to “blow people away, which is easier to do with a project that isn’t loaded with built-in expectations.”
Favreau also confirmed he will remain a producer on The Avengers and looks forward to seeing what Marvel does with it’s upcoming slate:
“Marvel and I both came of age together,” Favreau said. “The years that we shared were a pivotal experience. Kevin has a firm grasp on the many franchises and how they all interweave and I am happy that I had the opportunity to establish the world that these characters can now play in…. ‘Iron Man’ has given me tremendous opportunities and Kevin and I are enjoying a lot of momentum in our careers thanks to the ‘Iron Man’ films. I look forward to seeing what others can do playing in the same world.”
So what exactly is this Magic Kingdom movie Favreau is so keen to make? The director revealed a few details earlier this year:
“[The story for Magic Kingdom] is essentially a family caught in Disneyland, bringing all of the attractions to life. I really want to plumb the depths of the history of the park because it’s a place I love to go a few times a year.”
I don’t think it will be like Night of the Museum. I want to make it a little bit spookier like the old Disney movies were and try to really capture that tone.
This is something that I’ve always been drawn to and now to say ‘What characters do you want to use and how do you not make it Space Jam or like the Christmas parade with every character?’ How do you show restraint and how do you make it tie into the emotional development of the characters?”
Personally it’d rather he direct Iron Man 3, but Favreau showed with Elf and Zathura: A Space Adventure that he can make fun family movies, so it’ll be interesting to see what he does with Mickey, Goofy and co.
Favreau is currently in post-production on Cowboys and Aliens which will be released next July.
