Happy Hogan is more similar to Harry Potter’s Hagrid than the MCU’s Nick Fury in Spider-Man: Far From Home says Jon Favreau. Kicking off the MCU in 2008 by directing Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, the filmmaker was also able to get into the franchise as an actor, playing Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) loyal driver and confidant. The character has grown over the years, going through a slew of dangerous experiences - his price to pay having a close relationship with one of the most well-known Avengers. But now that Stark’s no longer around, Happy continues to play a role in the universe as he helps the web-slinging hero cope with the loss of his mentor.
Along with the lift of the spoiler ban for Avengers: Endgame was the arrival of the latest Far From Home trailer which leaned heavily on the events of the Joe and Anthony Russo-directed flick. The promo clip opens with an honest conversation between Peter and Happy about the death of Tony. And surprisingly, Happy has mellowed down on the young hero compared to their interactions in Spider-Man: Homecoming. According to Favreau, this is all part of the development of their dynamic moving forward.
Speaking with Screen Rant during the visit on the set of Far From Home in Leavesden UK last summer, Favreau talked about what fans can expect with his role in the Jon Watts-directed. He particularly discussed how Happy’s treatment of Parker, which was icy in the past, has changed following the death of Stark, describing his character as Hagrid from the Harry Potter franchise. “I like to think I was the Nick Fury of Homecoming. Now I’m more of the Hagrid. But I’m having a lot of fun, because I know a lot of the actors,” he said. In conjunction to that, Watts and producer Eric Carroll have revealed during the set visit that Fury will be a different mentor to Spider-Man compared to Iron Man, describing the former S.H.I.E.L.D. director as the mean stepdad, compared to Stark’s cool uncle vibe.
Aside from dealing with the death of his mentor, Spider-Man has some other pressing matters to attend to, including the threat brought about by the Elementals, as well as the introduction of Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). Far From Home positions Quentin Beck as an ally to the wall-crawling hero, but comic readers know better than to trust him. On a personal level, Parker is also going back to the dating pool with a potential relationship with M.J. (Zendaya). There’s the risk of his real identity being revealed - something that he can’t afford to do as well.
Fans of the Wizarding World know that Hagrid was Harry’s biggest and most loyal ally since day one. He’s extremely protective of the boy who lived and he treated him with care and love. While it’s too early to tell if Happy will be as devoted to Parker as the gentle giant was with the powerful wizard, the latest Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer establishes that he’ll help Parker get through the sadness over Stark’s demise. By the end of Homecoming, Happy already mellowed down on the kid after treating him as a nuisance for the most part of the film, but he’s being more involved with his life possibly as a way to look after the people Stark left in this world particularly, Parker and Morgan.
More: Everything We Learned On The Set Of Spider-Man: Far From Home
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