Having just reached a full 350 episodes of candid monologues and one-on-one interviews with comedy elite, the “WTF with Marc Maron” podcast has become the go-to destination for rich discussion of the entertainment business and its denizens. It also provides a rare chance for reflection upon a career, and in “Iron Man” helmer Jon Favreau's case, an opportunity to discuss perhaps his biggest misstep as a director.
In an extensive interview charting his beginnings as an improv comedian in Chicago to becoming a triple threat with “Swingers” in 1996, Favreau discusses with Maron the ever-growing stakes of his career, and what project signified those risks better than “Cowboys & Aliens”? Calling the 2011 Daniel Craig/Harrison Ford western “the most evolved work I've done,” he nonetheless learned some very hard lessons from the film's thorough critical and box-office scrubbing.
“[The film] didn't bomb but it was definitely a 'pillow party,' ” he explained. “The name, that was so interesting, made everyone think it was going to be a comedy and maybe it would've been better served with a different vision." Coming off the incredible success of “Iron Man” didn't help matters either, as Favreau also noted he “had been spoiled because it worked out.” In the end, 'Cowboys' garnered a $175 million worldwide take. “[Looking at 'Iron Man'] part of me felt that it was going to bomb,” he added, “And part of me felt like this is going to be the best movie in the world."
Regardless of your own feelings on the film, be sure to check out the fascinating “WTF” interview, in which you can also hear Favreau gab about his upcoming adaptation of [“SNL” writer] Simon Rich's book, “What in God's Name,” his experiences working with Martin Scorsese, and more. [MTV]
