Original Iron Man star will return on Disney Plus next year, reports say

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to branch out beyond the borders of the world that it is set in, excitement is high for the titles that are coming next; and for good reason, too, as the Multiverse Saga has been reinvigorated in recent months due to the successful releases of both Deadpool and Wolverine and Agatha All Along.

Now, we turn our attention to the projects that are coming out next, with Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps set to make their presence felt on the big screen, and Daredevil: Born Again, Ironheart, and Wonder Man all set to premiere on Disney Plus (amongst multiple animated shows, too).

Could we see any classic Marvel multiversal cameos in any of those projects? Well it's not exactly multiversal, but we know that Elden Hensen (Foggy Nelson), Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Page), and Ayelet Zurer (Vanessa Fisk) will reprise their roles from Daredevil in the new series. Similarly, an original MCU star is now expected to make a cameo appearance in another Disney Plus series next year.

Iron Man star Jon Favreau rumored to appear in Ironheart

According to Marvel scooper account Marvel Updates, Jon Favreau is expected to make a cameo appearance as Happy Hogan in Ironheart. The Iron Man star likely won't have a lot of screen-time, but it could very well be a pivotal cameo considering how closely the character of Ironheart is linked to Iron Man

Having appeared in both the first MCU movie Iron Man and the most recent in the franchise Deadpool and Wolverine, Favreau is one of the saga's longest-standing veteran actors, having recurred throughout the 34 films and directing two of the first three installments. His character, Happy Hogan, is one of Tony Stark's closest allies and friends, and he has since become a mentor figure to Spider-Man after Tony's death in Avengers: Endgame. But what could a potential return for him in Ironheart look like?

Ironheart is a spinoff of 2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, bringing back Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams in a Disney Plus series that will see her live up to her comic book destiny (although Riri is already on her way there) as she tackles more of the dangers that the MCU poses. Although the show looks set to be one of the franchise's more grounded projects, it does seem like it will dabble in magic and the supernatural, as it will feature Anthony Ramos as The Hood. Rumor has it that it might even feature an appearance from Mephisto himself.

So where could Happy fit into that? Well, there are two potential fronts he could appear in if the cameo rumor is true. For starters, Riri Williams' fame in the Marvel Comics stems from the fact that she's a renowned genius who builds herself armor that can rival even Tony Stark's iconic Iron Man suit. The MCU definitely acknowledged that when she was recruited in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and we certainly saw her talent in action when she battled alongside the Wakandans in the film.

Could Happy show an interest in Riri's talent and reach out due to the similarities in her armor and Tony's? Perhaps that could be the beginning of the character's larger involvement in the franchise as it might connect her with Pepper Potts, who is now the CEO of Stark Industries.

On the other hand, Happy is now seemingly interviewing potential heroes for a role in a future line-up of The Avengers. We saw that in Deadpool and Wolverine, when he had a very colorful conversation with Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool. Perhaps he could be looking to recruit Ironheart to The Avengers?

As with all rumors, it's important to wait and see if this one pans out to be true. But the idea of Happy Hogan continuing to be a throughline in the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe is certainly an exciting one. The more Jon Favreau that the franchise has, the better.