MCU Star Jon Favreau Puts Spider-Man: Brand New Day Cameo Rumors to Rest

Just when you were figuring out where the MCU was going next, things are starting to look wild again. 'Avengers: Doomsday' is set to hit theaters later this year with pretty much every Marvel character you can think of (and probably a few you forgot existed), but before that circus rolls into town, there’s a new Spider-Man movie lining up for its shot: 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day.' If you’ve been betting on which old school MCU faces show up in this one, you’re not alone. Even Jon Favreau has finally decided to set the record straight on Happy Hogan’s fate.

Is Jon Favreau Back as Happy Hogan?

You’ve seen Favreau in a half-dozen Marvel movies by now—he started out as the director of 'Iron Man' (aka ground zero for the MCU) and stuck around on screen as Happy Hogan, Tony Stark’s driver, bodyguard, and reluctant babysitter for Peter Parker. Recently, with less time spent in Tony’s shadow and more on projects like 'The Mandalorian and Grogu,' he popped by 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' and ended speculation about whether he’s popping up in 'Brand New Day.'

"I can give you a big spoiler: I'm not in it. He lost his memory."

So, there you have it. Favreau claims Happy Hogan is sitting this one out. And if you’re wondering what memory loss has to do with anything, here’s the deal: At the end of 'Spider-Man: No Way Home,' Doctor Strange wipes everyone’s brain clean regarding Peter Parker’s secret identity, so Happy (along with basically the entire human race) forgot Peter was Spider-Man.

Here’s where things get a little fuzzy—Favreau later joked that maybe Peter Parker forgot everyone else too (which is not exactly how that spell worked, for anyone keeping score at home). He doesn’t seem tremendously up-to-date on the MCU spellbook, but I don’t blame him; even the guy who started all this seems a little disoriented by now. But, as he put it, if Marvel wants him back:

"If I'm in it, they'd better hurry up, 'cause they're running out of time."

Who Is Actually Coming Back for 'Brand New Day'?

Regardless of whether Happy shows up for duty, the supporting cast for 'Brand New Day' isn’t exactly lacking in familiar faces. Here’s the core returning lineup:

• Zendaya as MJ
• Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds
• Michael Mando returns as Scorpion (finally following up on that 'Homecoming' tease from years ago)
• Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / Hulk
• Jon Bernthal as The Punisher (if you still think of 'The Defenders' shows as the MCU's weird cousins, guess what—they’re here)

And the trailer shown at CinemaCon reveals that MJ and Ned may not be done with Spider-Man after all—they seem to be playing detective, trying to figure out who the web-slinger really is this time. Also, the Hand (as in the evil ninja group from the Defenders series) appear to be crashing the party. So if you care about MCU continuity and all the magic weirdness that comes with it, 'Brand New Day' is clearly leaning into that history instead of going for a hard reset.

Where Does This Leave Happy Hogan (and Favreau)?

Right now, there’s no official word on whether Happy Hogan has any bigger MCU role coming up. Since Tony Stark bowed out (in a pretty final way) after 'Endgame,' Happy naturally stuck to the Spider-Man corner of things as Peter’s low-key father figure. Now, with Spider-Man’s cinematic life headed in a new direction—and with rumors that Robert Downey Jr. is back, but as the villainous Doctor Doom of all things—Favreau’s old character doesn’t have a clear gig. Maybe Marvel Studios will slot him in for a bit part in 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' or throw him into something random like 'VisionQuest.' Or maybe he’ll just keep cameoing across the MCU like a Marvel good luck charm.

In short: don’t expect Happy this time, but never count him out for good. In the MCU, memory spells are temporary—and so is retirement.