How Jon Favreau Birthed A Pair of Iconic Metal Men, Forever Changing Both Marvel and Star Wars

TV & Film

Oct 19

Jon Favreau was born on October 19, 1966, in Flushing, New York. He went to The Bronx High School of Science and Queens College in the 1980s. Then, in 1988, he moved to Chicago to pursue a career in comedy. He worked at the ImprovOlympic and the Improv Institute. He got his start in Hollywood by taking small parts in films. His first breakthrough was with the 1996 cult classic film, Swingers, which he wrote and starred in. His directing debut came in 2001 with the movie Made. Then, in 2003, he directed the hit movie Elf which has gone on to be a Christmas classic.

It was 2008 when his real impact on geek culture started. Favreau directed Iron Man which kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It was a huge success, and not just with comic book fans, bringing in over $500 million at the box office. Both critics and audiences liked the movie with 94% of critics and 91% of audiences giving it positive reviews according to Rotten Tomatoes.

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More importantly, though, Iron Man, and Favreau, set the tone and template for the rest of the MCU. The combination of humor and action, lightheartedness, and grit are key components. So are the flawed but relatable characters. Jon Favreau’s juxtapositions made Iron Man, and the MCU, different from anything that had come before. Favreau also directed Iron Man 2. He didn’t direct the third installment but acted as executive producer.

Favreau’s next big breakthrough came in 2019 with the release of the first season of The Mandalorian. He was the show’s creator, writer, and showrunner as well as directed some of the episodes. Like Iron Man, The Mandalorian was a hit and helped to usher in Disney+ as a legitimate streaming service. In fact, The Mandalorian was the first non-Netflix show to reach the top of the streaming charts.

Up until the release of The Mandalorian, Disney’s Star Wars projects had gotten a mixed reception, at best. Many people complained that they were just rehashes of Lucas’ originals; they weren’t adding anything new. Favreau and The Mandalorian changed all that. Critics and audiences agreed that it was a great show and that it finally put Disney’s Star Wars on a solid footing. Its second season was also a hit, and it has spawned several spin-offs.

It’s rare for one person to have the pop culture influence that Jon Favreau has had. The fact that he has had such an impact on both the MCU and Star Wars is extraordinary. They are two of the biggest franchises in television and movie history. His impact on the franchises not only changed them, but it has also influenced other filmmakers and studios trying to copy Favreau’s success.

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