One of the unsung characters in the MCU is Jon Favreau's Happy Hogan, Tony Stark's confidante who first appeared in the very first Iron Man film. The character had a larger presence in the Spider-Man trilogy where he became a mentor figure to Peter Parker including in the latest film Spider-Man: No Way Home. But as it turns out, he almost didn't appear in those films as he was supposed to die in an earlier MCU film.
Speaking with ComicBook.com during the red carpet premiere of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige revealed that Happy was originally going to die in Iron Man 3, but Favreau asked not to do it. He said, "Jon [Favreau] had a note — that is one of the most important notes he gave us at Marvel — which was, 'What if Happy was severely injured but did not die?'"
Favreau chimed in and added, "They accommodated it, and I'm so happy I've been a part of this and being able to be there with Tom Holland since the beginning. He's such a pleasure to work with, and Jon Watts, who is incredibly talented, it's just fun to continue this relationship [with the MCU]. It is a big part of my life, and these people are friends and also people I work with."
Suffice to say, everyone can agree that Marvel made a great decision on keeping Happy alive in Iron Man 3 which led him to appear in more MCU films including Avengers: Endgame and the Spider-Man trilogy. It's a bit hard to imagine the Spider-Man films without Happy's presence as the mentor to Peter Parker, especially now that he has a larger presence in the MCU given that Tony Stark has died as he acts as the continuation of the late character's presence in the franchise. Hopefully, we'll get to see him again in another MCU project.
Also Read: Kevin Feige Officially Confirms More Spider-Man Films Are In the Works
You can catch Happy's latest MCU appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home which is currently showing in theaters everywhere. You can also check out our streaming guide for the film here.
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!