Published Jun 24, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT
Jason is an award-winning journalist whose writing career dates back to when he developed the ability to use a crayon. He, most notably, worked previously as a "professional fan," as he likes to call it, at CinemaBlend, for which he wrote about anything and everything under the pop culture umbrella... especially Batman. His passion for the art of cinema began even earlier, stemming from repeat viewings of The Wizard of Oz.
This initially led him to pursue a career in filmmaking -- and even work briefly in the industry as an extra in the straight-to-video family film, Alice Upside Down -- before deciding that his talents would be better served discussing and showing appreciation for the various forms of entertainment he is passionate about.
Few can deny that the modern comic book movie would not be what it is without Jon Favreau. He made the Marvel Cinematic Universe a reality by directing its first installment, 2008's Iron Man, and would continue to play a pivotal role in the mega-hit franchise from both behind and in front of the camera.
Yet, little do most fans know that the filmmaker also contributed to other corners of the Marvel Multiverse, including on the comics side of things. Unfortunately, Favreau's own Iron Man comic book has never seen its conclusion, but curious onlookers should not lose hope just yet.
Jon Favreau Never Finished Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas
In May 2008, Marvel Comics published Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas #1, the first issue of a limited series released under the Marvel Knights imprint. It follows a burnt-out Tony Stark, who decides to take a break at his own hotel and casino in Sin City just as it becomes plagued by a swarm of lizards.
The next chapter, released the following August, sees Stark meet up with experienced monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone, through whom the Avenger discovers that the reptilian plague is connected to a 50-foot dragon statue mounted on top of a nearby rooftop, which is eventually revealed to be none other than Fin Fang Foom. An epic battle between Stark and the iconic beast was promised in Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas #3, but that promise was soon broken.
The intended four-issue series was cancelled halfway through, joining a list of several other notable unfinished Marvel comics by famous writers. Said writer in this case was Jon Favreau, fresh off the success of his hit cinematic adaptation of the character created by Stan Lee with Larry Lieber, Don Heck, and Jack Kirby in 1963. The comic was illustrated by Bosnian artist Ari Granov, who was also personally chosen by Favreau to design concept art for the Iron Man movie.
Nearly two decades have passed since the ill-fated launch of Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas, which has become largely forgotten, without even its renowned creator showing any hope of seeing a proper conclusion. However, the miniseries has not faded completely into obscurity just yet.
There Is Still Some Home For Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas
Earlier in 2026, Marvel editor Tom Brevoort appeared on the Word Balloon YouTube channel. During the interview, he discussed some of the titles that never saw the light of day, or at least were never finished, under his watch, at which point a certain infamous Iron Man comic was brought up.
"I think most stuff these days kind of gets collected unless it doesn't get printed or finished. So there are a couple random things. There was Daredevil: The Target, and I think one issue of that saw print.The sore spot in my history, the two issues of Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas that will never be finished, that Jon Favreau did with Adi Granov. So there are a couple of things like that here and there, but even those, given enough time, somebody will find places to put them into collections. So I don't think anything is quite lost in the way it might have been in the past."
What Brevoort seems to be saying here is, just because Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas had its engines cooled prematurely, that does not mean the story is completely lost in the minds of those who were involved in it, and that likely includes Favreau and Granov. Even if there are no plans to see Issues #3 and #4 hitting the shelves anytime soon, the first two chapters are bound to be honored with an addition to a special collection, as Brevoort claims.
Even with an unfinished Marvel Comics title on his resume, that is a small blemish compared to what the filmmaker has done for the company as a whole. The success of the MCU has helped boost newfound interest in superhero fiction for modern audiences, especially in regards to Iron Man, who was not exactly a top-tier character for the publisher prior ot Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal.
Most recently, Favreau brought his contribution to the Star Wars franchise, the hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian, to the big screen with the summer release of The Mandalorian and Grogu, following the continuing adventures of Pedro Pascal's galactic bounty hunter and his child-like Jedi companion. He is confirmed to reprise his role as Stark's former chauffeur Happy Hogan, whose cut Avengers: Infinity cameo was recently unveiled, in Avengers: Doomsday.
Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas #1 and #2 are available where comic books are sold.
Birthdate October 19, 1966
English (US) · 