From small indie comedies to billion-dollar blockbusters, Jon Favreau has done it all. His latest outing, The Mandalorian & Grogu, marks the first Star Wars movie since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. Favreau, who created and helmed The Mandalorian as a Disney+ series, was the natural choice to bring the IP to the big screen, as a fourth season was shelved in favor of a theatrical film.
However, the reception has been polarizing so far. Critics have been divided, with the movie sitting at a 63% score on Rotten Tomatoes (as of May 22, 2026). Many have called it little more than an extended TV episode, while others appreciate the charm of the central duo. With that in mind, here is every Jon Favreau movie before The Mandalorian & Grogu, ranked from worst to best.
9. Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
Cowboys & Aliens is easily the weakest movie in Jon Favreau’s directorial filmography. The concept of mixing the Western genre with an alien invasion story sounded exciting on paper, especially with Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford leading the charge. However, the film took itself far too seriously for a movie with such an inherently campy premise.
What should have been a fun B-movie romp ended up being a dull, joyless affair. Far too many flaws made watching it a challenge: the characters were undercooked, the aliens were generic, and the lack of humor was baffling. With a massive $163 million budget, the movie barely earned $174 million worldwide, making it a significant financial disappointment and a rare misfire for Favreau.
8. Made (2001)
A still from Made (2001) | Credits: Artisan Entertainment
Jon Favreau’s directorial debut, Made, is not a very popular movie in his filmography. Favreau reunited with Vince Vaughn after the cult buddy comedy movie, Swingers, which is why many fans think Made is a follow-up to the 1996 movie. However, besides the central duo, the two movies have little connection with each other. Moreover, this 2001 flick wasn’t anywhere as good as the earlier one, which Favreau wrote and Doug Liman directed.
The comic chaos set in a mafia background offered nothing new. The only saving grace was the performance of Vaughn. Moreover, Diddy played an important role in the movie, which is basically damaging to whatever reputation the film had left. It is also the lowest-earning movie among Favreau’s movies.
7. Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)
A still from Zathura: A Space Adventure | Credits: Sony Pictures Releasing
Jon Favreau’s filmography included a spiritual successor to 1995’s Jumanji, which happens to be one of his most underrated movies. Zathura: A Space Adventure, which came out in 2005, replaces the original’s jungle with outer space. In the movie, two bickering brothers played a magical board game that hurled their house into the cosmos. Favreau’s decision to rely heavily on practical effects instead of CGI gave the movie a charming, old-school feel that still holds up today.
However, Zathura was a box office disaster, barely recouping its $65 million budget. It also suffered from unfair comparisons to the Robin Williams movie. Despite strong reviews and a young cast that included Josh Hutcherson and Kristen Stewart, the movie remains criminally overlooked.
6. The Lion King (2019)
The Lion King was a massive commercial success, earning over $1.66 billion worldwide, and it is Favreau’s highest-grossing movie so far. But it remains one of the most soulless entries in Favreau’s filmography. The photorealistic CGI was undeniably impressive from a technical standpoint, but it came at a great cost. The realistic animal faces were completely devoid of emotion, which stripped away the warmth and personality that made the 1994 original story so beloved.
Unlike Favreau’s earlier The Jungle Book adaptation, which had a human protagonist to convey the emotion, The Lion King felt more like a nature documentary with famous voices. It was a glorified tech demo disguised as a movie, and Favreau deserved a better project than this cash grab.
5. Iron Man 2 (2010)
Robert Downey Jr. in a still from Iron Man 2 | Credits: Marvel Studios
Iron Man 2 is far from a bad superhero film, but it is a textbook example of a sequel that couldn’t live up to its predecessor. Favreau returned to direct (his last time as a Marvel director), and Robert Downey Jr. was as charismatic as ever, but the film suffered from trying to do too much. Between setting up The Avengers, introducing Black Widow, and juggling multiple villains (Whiplash and Justin Hammer), the actual story got lost in the shuffle.
Mickey Rourke’s Whiplash was a forgettable antagonist, and the climactic battle felt rushed and uninspired. The film also marked the beginning of Marvel’s interference in Favreau’s creative process, which reportedly frustrated the director (via CinemaBlend). It’s a fun enough popcorn flick, but a noticeable step down from the original.
4. Chef (2014)
Jon Favreau and Scarlett Johansson in Chef | Credits: Open Road Films
Chef is widely regarded as Jon Favreau’s most personal film, and for good reason. The parallels between the story and his own career are hard to miss. It is significantly different from the spectacle movies he did before that. Just like the protagonist Carl Casper, who leaves a prestigious restaurant to rediscover his passion through a humble food truck, Favreau stepped away from big-budget blockbusters after the Cowboys & Aliens debacle to make something small and heartfelt.
The movie is breezy, feel-good, and packed with mouthwatering food sequences. The father-son bonding at the heart of the story is genuinely touching. And we loved the star-studded supporting cast, including Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson, who added plenty of charm to the story. It’s Favreau at his most honest.
3. Elf (2003)
This Will Ferrell comedy of the 2000s is arguably the last great Christmas classic Hollywood has produced. Ferrell’s performance as Buddy, a human raised by North Pole elves who travels to New York City to find his biological father, is nothing short of iconic. It was a star-making turn that perfectly utilized Ferrell’s brand of childlike comedy from his SNL days, but it stayed away from the crude territory of his later films.
Favreau deserves immense credit for balancing the humor with genuine heart in Elf. The movie never panders or becomes overly sentimental, and its Rankin/Bass-inspired visual style gives it a timeless quality. With a $33 million budget, Elf earned nearly $240 million worldwide, cementing its place in holiday movie history.
2. The Jungle Book (2016)
Favreau hit the mark with this live-action remake, which is considered the crown jewel among Disney’s live-action remakes. Favreau took Rudyard Kipling’s classic story and delivered a visually stunning movie that pushed the boundaries of CGI technology. The photorealistic animals looked breathtakingly lifelike (even though Favreau failed a second time in The Lion King), and the film won a well-deserved Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
What set this apart from Favreau’s later live-action remake was the presence of young Neel Sethi’s Mowgli. He gave the audience an emotional entry point into the story. Idris Elba‘s menacing Shere Khan and Bill Murray’s lovable Baloo were standout performances. With its $967 million worldwide collection, The Jungle Book was a critical and commercial triumph.
1. Iron Man (2008)
Iron Man is not just Jon Favreau’s best directorial effort, but it is also one of the most important superhero movies ever made. This was the film that launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a franchise that would go on to dominate Hollywood for over a decade. Favreau’s gamble of casting Robert Downey Jr., who was considered a risky choice at the time due to his troubled past, paid off spectacularly.
Favreau’s refreshing take on the genre came with zero studio interference, and the result was just great. Downey Jr.’s charismatic portrayal of Tony Stark set a new standard for superhero performances. Without this movie, the MCU as we know it simply would not exist. It remains Favreau’s magnum opus.
RankJon Favreau’s MoviesBox OfficeRT Score (As of May 22, 2026)IMDb Score (As of May 22, 2026)Streaming on1Iron Man$585.8 million94% | 91%7.9/10Disney+2The Jungle Book$967.7 million94% | 86%7.3/10Disney+3Elf$232.9 million85% | 79%7.1/10Paramount+4Chef$49.8 million87% | 85%7.3/10Netflix5Iron Man 2$623.9 million72% | 71%6.9/10Disney+6The Lion King$1.66 billion52% | 88%6.8/10Disney+7Zathura: A Space Adventure$65 million77% | 52%6.3/10Rent on Prime Video or AppleTV8Made$5.5 million70% | 66%6.3/10Prime Video9Cowboys & Aliens$174.8 million44% | 43%6/10Peacock
Here are some questions on Favreau answered for you.
What is Jon Favreau most famous for?
Jon Favreau is the director of the MCU’s Iron Man movies and worked on many Star Wars projects, including directing The Mandalorian & Grogu.
Are RDJ and Jon Favreau Friends?
Yes, the two are close friends. It was Favreau who fought for Robert Downey Jr. to be cast as Iron Man.
Which is the best Jon Favreau movie?
Iron Man is his magnum opus. But Chef is his most personal movie.
Which Favreau movie will you pick up for a rewatch? Do you have any picks from here that you are excited to watch for the first time? Are you excited to watch The Mandalorian & Grogu in theaters? Let us know in the comments below.
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