Especially given the set up. A horror comedy director who’s most significant major studio credit was one of the Scooby Doo movies (as just a writer IIRC). The chubby guy from some sitcom, a talking raccoon with bombs. A talking tree that can only say 3 words. Based on recent relaunch of a completely forgotten, totally bizarre, comic team from the 60’s. A relaunch that got cancelled a few months before the movie announcement. And had a total readership in the sub 25,000 range. Deeply tied to the weirdest, nerdiest aspects of Marvel’s space heroes.
SOUNDS LIKE A MONEY MAKER.
It was a bigger risk at the time. But it was a safe sort of risk. Iron Man was only minorly known outside comic fans. Downey Jr’s career had tanked. Favereau was a comedy director fresh off a bomb and a lul in his career.
But Iron Man was publicly known at the time. Often bandied about in non-enthusiast circles as a significant example of topical comics of the past. The characters reputation outside of comic readers was actually better. He was never all that popular in actual comics. Downey Jr. was at the start of a career resurgence and had been getting big awards buzz, and excellent reviews for a number of years. And Favereau was an award winning indy/art house director to start with. And had just made shit like Elf before the quiet patch that lead into Iron Man. A guy with chops and significant studio experience.
People to tend to down play the risk there now because it worked out so well. But other people like to exaggerate that risk. It was a bunch of clever, well chosen, if interesting and cheap, people. Working on a property that took place in a pretty close to our own real world. And it made fucking sense.
Guardians put a fucking Celestial on the screen.
