The upcoming season of the Marvel series What If…? features an ode to the actor and filmmaker Jon Favreau, who has been a key figure in the MCU since the 2008 film Iron Man. The animated anthology series, known for pushing boundaries with the potential to explore the vast multiverse, is expected to take a fresh and innovative take by introducing new characters like the Mohawk hero Kahhori in the next season.
However, it does not forget the beloved characters that have become a fan favorite over the years. The show’s creator, A.C. Bradley, recently shared that one of the episodes of the upcoming season would center around Favreau’s MCU character, Happy Hogan.
Jon Favreau Had a Demand to Reprise His Role in What If…?
A.C. Bradley, one of the creators of Marvel’s anthology animated series, What If…?, has recently shared some intriguing details about its next season. She shared that Jon Favreau made a playful deal before reprising his role in the animated series. As per SlashFilm, Bradley said,
“When he came in to do season 1, he kind of jokingly made a deal. He’s like, ‘I’ll do season 1, but season 2, I get to headline. And I want to be The Freak.'”
The Freak is one of the characters from Marvel Comics, with the monicker bestowed upon Happy Hogan after an experiment gone wrong transforms him into a Hulk-like creature. However, Bradley admitted that neither she nor Matthew Chauncey knew about The Freak.
She also shared that Season 2 will feature an episode focusing on Jon Favreau’s Marvel character, Happy Hogan. The episdoe titled What If… Happy Hogan Saved Christmas? will feature a team-up between Happy Hogan and Darcy Lewis, played by Kat Dennings in the MCU.
What If…? Creators Planned a Special Episode For Jon Favreau
One of the episodes in What If…? Season 2 is putting Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan in the spotlight. The episode focuses on Happy Hogan as Iron Man’s old nemesis, Justin Hammer, attempts to siege Avengers Tower during the heroes’ annual holiday party.
A.C. Bradley shared that while working on the episode, they decided, “Let’s make it an ode to Mr. Favreau.” They soon started looking at his impressive filmography. Ultimately, they settled with the all-time fan-favorite action film Die Hard, which also happens to be Bradley’s favorite as well.
“We were looking at Elf and were like, ‘No, we can’t do Elf. Let’s do Die Hard,'” she recalled. The trailer for What If…? Season 2 also features a Die Hard reference to the movie, showing Happy climbing through Stark Tower’s ventilation shafts and even name-dropping John McClane. And seems like Favreau’s playful demand has added an extra layer of excitement to the show’s next season.
What If…? Season 2 is set to premiere on December 22, 2023 on Disney+.
