Before his return in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the Marvel Cinematic Universe reunited viewers with Happy Hogan in What If…?, and finally remembered his real power. For over a decade, the MCU has been bringing a variety of characters from Marvel Comics to the big screen – from heroes to villains and also many characters without superpowers but who play important roles in the arcs of the main characters. Falling into the latter category is Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), who has become one of the most beloved MCU characters despite not having any superpowers.

Happy Hogan has been a part of the MCU from the beginning, as he made his debut in the movie that started it all (and which was also directed by Favreau): Iron Man, back in 2008. Happy was present in all of Iron Man’s solo adventures and made small appearances in other MCU movies, as are Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: Far From Home, and he’s set to return in the third Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: No Way Home. Happy’s role in the MCU has been that of Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr) bodyguard, chauffeur, and assistant, and now that Stark is gone, he has also been lending a hand to Peter Parker (Tom Holland), but this universe has mostly forgotten that Happy can do a lot more than that.

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Happy Hogan hasn’t always been working for Tony Stark, and before he did, he actually had a career as a boxer (and got the nickname “Happy” during those days due to his refusal to smile), but it wasn’t a successful one. Happy was known for losing many fights, and after he retired he worked different odd jobs, and one day, he saved Tony from a car crash, which led to him being hired by the man behind the Iron Man mask. Happy’s history in the MCU is pretty much the same, being a former boxer who after he retired started working for Tony Stark, but this universe forgets about his boxing past, with the only reference to it being in Iron Man 2 when he was training with Tony, but What If…? included a reference to it and put it to good use when Happy punched Obadiah Stane in episode 6.

So far, Happy Hogan has been used for laughs in the MCU and as a link between Tony Stark and other characters, mostly Peter Parker, and while this has helped him win the audience’s affection even though he has appeared briefly, his boxing background is an important part of who he is. What If…? episode 6 explores what would have happened if Killmonger had saved Tony Stark from the Ten Rings in the first Iron Man movie, making way for an alliance between them, though Killmonger had other plans. Killmonger publicly exposed Obadiah Stane’s plans to kill Tony, and in order to stop him from escaping, Happy knocked him out with one punch. Although Happy was shown in a ring training Tony in Iron Man 2, he never really got to show his boxing skills (with Tony punching him in the face and Natasha Romanoff taking him down) until now in What If…?, and it was a good reminder that he’s not just here for the laughs.

It’s unknown how big or small Happy Hogan’s role in the MCU will be now that Tony Stark is gone and with Spider-Man finding a new mentor in Doctor Strange, but at least fans will get to see him one more time in Spider-Man: No Way Home, where he might find himself in danger as seen in the trailer, and whether this will be another chance to show his power as a boxer or not remains to be seen.

Key Release Dates
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  • Eternals (2021)Release date: Nov 05, 2021
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
  • The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Release date: Jul 28, 2023
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Release date: May 05, 2023
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About The Author


Adrienne Tyler
(3271 Articles Published)

Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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