One long-running MCU Spider-Man star has confirmed he won't be returning in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Tom Holland's fourth solo superhero outing is a new era for the web-slinger, as Marvel leaves the Spider-Man "Home" trilogy behind and enters a fresh arc, with a new director and many fresh faces. Nevertheless, Spider-Man: Brand New Day remains a key installment in the broader MCU, but for the fourth film, one of the franchise's recurring stars won't be back.
Jon Favreau, Iron Man director and regular MCU actor, has confirmed he won't be back in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Favreau became known on-screen in the MCU for his portrayal of Happy Hogan, Tony Stark's driver, who eventually became a mentor for Peter Parker and appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Favreau confirmed on the Jimmy Kimmel show that he is "not in [Spider-Man: Brand New Day]", which will break the actor's MCU Spider-Man movie streak.
Favreau added that Hogan "lost his memory" of Peter Parker, along with everyone else on Earth-616, as a result of Doctor Strange's memory spell in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which removed the need for him to appear in the fourth film:
"I can give you a big spoiler: I'm not in it. He lost his memory. I'm not part of [it], he doesn't remember me anymore. He might meet me again someday, I don't know. But isn't that how the last one ended with him forgetting everything? So now it's all about his new... I don't know anything about it. If I'm in it, they better hurry up."
Of course, MCU stars have become adept at dodging spoilers in the media, so there is a chance that Favreau is lying about not appearing in the fourth film. However, with Favreau being kept busy with his work on The Mandalorian & Grogu and the story moving in a new direction for Peter Parker, it wouldn't be all that surprising if he really isn't in the fourth film.
Happy Hogan and Peter Parker's status quo was revealed in a touching scene at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. In the aftermath of the memory spell and Aunt May's death, Peter and Happy run into each other at May's grave.
Happy had grown close to Peter's aunt, and they'd begun dating in the third film before her tragic demise. While Peter recognizes Happy, Favreau's character has no memory of Peter due to the spell, meaning he no longer holds significance in his life.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will deal with some of the ramifications of the memory spell, as Peter is shown trying to get closer to his old best friend, Ned, and ex-girlfriend, MJ, who have moved on with their lives without him.
But Happy always represented Peter's connection to the Avengers and Tony Stark, before he took a more personal role in his life and started dating Aunt May. Without those aspects in this film, it makes sense that Happy wouldn't be present in the story.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, with Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, and Sadie Sink starring. The film picks up four years after Spider-Man: No Way Home, following Peter as he works tirelessly and anonymously to protect the city as Spider-Man. The movie will be released on July 31, 2026.
When Will Happy Hogan Return in the MCU?
With Favreau confirming that Happy is out of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it eliminates one of the few places that his character still makes sense to appear in the MCU.
Happy has typically appeared in Iron Man films or any Iron Man-related projects. Favreau portrayed the character in all three Iron Man movies (two of which he directed) before appearing in the Spider-Man trilogy and Avengers: Endgame. Now that Tony Stark has been killed off and Happy has no memory of Peter Parker, it's difficult to predict where he might appear next. Favreau had a surprise cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine, where he interviewed Wade Wilson for a position on the Avengers; though this was limited to a flashback scene set in 2018 (before the events of Endgame).
It's clear that Favreau is still invested in his MCU character and is willing to return for cameos when they make sense. Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars could offer a place for Happy Hogan to return, particularly as the films deal with the Multiverse and would open the door for different versions of Happy to appear, although Favreau has not been confirmed in any cast lists.
Another option would be Marvel's Armor Wars, which centers on Don Cheadle's War Machine. The project's involvement with the Iron suits and Tony Stark's legacy would be a logical place for Happy to appear, particularly given how intertwined Favreau's character is with the Starks.
