Rumours swirling that latest Iron Man sequel now in turmoil...

NYMag entertainment section Vulture reports that Jon Favreau, director of the first two Iron Man films and upcoming blockbuster Cowboys & Aliens, is leaving the red-hot Iron Man franchise for reasons as yet unclear.

As one would predict in the contemporary Hollywood atmosphere, most of the rumours are pinpointing one of two possible reasons for Favreau jumping ship - creative differences and financial disagreements.

One rumour that has been gaining traction in recent days has Favreau resisting studio pressure that Iron Man 3 tie in multiple characters and burgeoning storylines from the upcoming Avengers, Thor, and Captain America films. In a recent interview with MTV News, Favreau betrayed some bitterness that the franchise that he has helmed to great success appears to be settling into 'lead in' status to the benefit of other franchises within the cinematic Marvel universe. Favreau also hinted that he was receiving little to no support from Marvel Films executives and had "no clarity as to what a third Iron Man film would even be about".

Another rumour has it that Favreau has simply become too expensive for Marvel Studios and parent company Disney. An anonymous insider contends that the studios have been purposefully difficult with Favreau and his crew after Iron Man 2's slightly-disappointing outing in order to "clean house" and save money. Favreau received $10 million to direct Iron Man 2 and would be estimated to command $12-15 million, plus a percentage of box office gross, for the next film in the series.

To make matters more difficult, Robert Downey Jr. must sign off on whoever is slated to replace Favreau, as per his contract. So if Favreau is indeed leaving his $1.2 billion baby, studio executives will be contractually obligated to go through Downey for the franchise's next director. This power, coupled with Downey's current status as one of the hottest actors on the planet and thereby susceptible to being lured to less-troubled projects, may pose problems for the popular comic book adaptation in the months ahead.

Iron Man 3 currently has no script and is tentatively scheduled to begin filming in 2012 for a 2013 release date.

Vulture

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