Favreau Not Directing Iron Man 2?

While no contracts have been signed either eay (and we're still a ways away from that), it seems that writer/director Jon Favreau may not be coming back to work on the nxt Iron Man as everyone had assumed. He's been saying for some time now that he would love to come back and complete what he saw as a trilogy.

In Favreau's story arc, the second film would have Tony turning 40 and deal with his mid-life crisis by turning to the sauce. The second film was always supposed to be a reworking of the seminal Demon in a Bottle storyline. It's a defining work for the character and speaks to who Tony Stark is (both losing and regaining control).

The only problem is that the first IM film was TOO successful. it seems that Marvel is eying Iron Man as a family franchise. Makes sense given the children's bed sheets and inflatable bath toys being advertised with Iron Man on them. Of course, a film dealing with alcoholism isn't exactly going to be hauling the nine year olds in by the truck load. As adept as Favreau is at making kids movies (he directed both Elf and Zathura), he always stated that he saw Iron Man as an adult film, just with a few fight scenes thrown in. Tony's battlr with the drink certainly fits that mold, but what if both he and Marvel Studios are unwilling to budge? It's ultimately Marvel's call, but if Favreau was so integral to the first Iron Man (and he was), what would a sequel out of his hands look like?

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