Though it’s been a long time since Jon Favreau helmed a feature-length entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Harold “Happy” Hogan actor is still finding plenty of work as a director in Disney’s various other branches, with the filmmaker currently at work on the first live-action Star Wars TV series The Mandalorian.
Now, the California set of this Disney Plus show has proven to be the unlikely setting for a Marvel director reunion, with a newly shared photo featuring the man who kicked of the MCU with 2008’s Iron Man standing alongside Ant-Man and the Wasp helmsman Peyton Reed, Thor: Ragnarok’s Taika Waititi, and Avengers 4 co-directors Anthony and Joe Russo.
Speaking of which, though Favreau’s scene was ultimately cut from the Russo Brothers’ Avengers: Infinity War, there’s a good chance we’ll be seeing the return of old Happy in next year’s sequel. Either way, 2019 is looking to be an eventful year for Favreau, with the director following up the success of The Jungle Book with a live-action remake of an even more beloved Disney animation, The Lion King.
And then, of course, there’s The Mandalorian which the man is producing and writing. An array of directors has been assembled to work on individual episodes, with Waititi said to be filming the season finale and perhaps even taking on a small acting role. Though it’s still unclear when exactly we’ll get to see any finished footage from this Pedro Pascal-led show, the series could well prove pivotal in determining Lucasfilm’s future relationship with the medium of television when it debuts some time next year. Before that, however, Favreau’s The Lion King is set to his cinemas on July 19th, 2019.