Question – what do The Fonz and Iron Man have in common? Well, you’ll just have to stay tuned to find out as two legends of the entertainment business battle it out TO THE DEATH! Well, maybe not quite as extreme as that, but it will be one grueling fight as we traverse across galaxies, encounter the supernatural, race Formula One vehicles, and generally find all sorts of drama by taking a closer look at the careers of two of the most important figures still working in the film and television industry today.
With the newly released Thirteen Lives, a dramatic account of the real-life event that saw a group of young soccer players and their coach trapped in a cave in Thailand, as well as the continued success of the Star Wars franchise through The Mandalorian on Disney+, what better time than now to compare the vastly different yet oddly similar filmographies of Ron Howard (a JoBlo fan!) and Jon Favreau!
Both filmmakers have had analogous career trajectories with Howard’s early TV work on The Andy Griffith Show in contrast to the later acting debut that Favreau had to the industry, notably his breakthrough role on Swingers, opposite Vince Vaughn. Each director has also stepped foot in a galaxy far, far away (to varying degrees of success) with Howard’s Solo: A Star Wars Story and Favreau’s aforementioned saga about Din Djarin and Grogu (affectionately known as Baby Yoda). So grab the keys to that ’58 Chevy Impala and settle in for the mother of all battles as the Fonz and Iron Man’s best friends go toe-to-toe in this episode of… FACE OFF!
This episode of Face Off is written by Adam Walton, narrated by Dave Davis, and edited by Stephen White. But don’t let us have the final word — tell us in the comments which acclaimed director is your pick! Ron Howard or Jon Favreau?