Iron Man Director Reviving Surprising Disney Character for New TV Show

Jon Favreau’s fruitful relationship with Disney is set to continue, as the creative is bringing back an unexpected face from the studio’s past. According to Deadline, Favreau is set to write and produce and TV show for Disney+ about Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a character described as “a saucy, self-absorbed bunny.” The project will combine live-action and animation. The series appears to be in the earliest stages of development, as it’s unknown when it is aiming to begin production and no release window has been set. As of this writing, there’s also no cast attached to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

This show represents a significant homecoming for the Oswald character, who was created by Disney back in 1927. A year later, Universal assumed the rights, which led to the creation of Mickey Mouse as Disney’s new mascot. Deadline notes that reacquiring the Oswald rights was a “priority” for Bob Iger, and now the studio will be able to showcase the bunny on its streaming service.

Throughout his career, Favreau has achieved tremendous success working with Disney. He previously directed the live-action remakes of The Jungle Book and The Lion King, both of which were massive box office hits. Those two titles rank among the highest-grossing of the studio’s reimaginings and also received accolades for their impressive visual effects. The Jungle Book won the Oscar in that category.

[RELATED – Iron Man’s Robert Downey Jr. Says Marvel “Let the Lunatics Run the Asylum” With First Movie]

Favreau, of course, helped usher in Disney+ with The Mandalorian, the hit Star Wars series that introduced fans to the New Republic era. Favreau is the director of the upcoming Star Wars movie The Mandalorian & Grogu, which is set to hit theaters in May 2026.

Since Disney reacquired Oswald back in 2006, the character has made some minor appearances in projects like Zootopia and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The only titles he’s headlined are a pair of online shorts, so this will be the first time in decades Oswald is placed front and center in a meaningful capacity. It’ll be interesting to see how Favreau approaches the material, as he’s demonstrated a keen ability to craft crowd-pleasing entertainment in various Disney sandboxes over the years. Given his track record, his involvement is encouraging, and this could be a triumphant reintroduction for Oswald.

The live-action/animation hybrid model calls to mind films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, which were widely praised for their sense of creativity, blending of genres, and humor. It’s too early to tell what Favreau has in mind for the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit storyline, but if something like Roger Rabbit or Chip ‘n Dale is the blueprint, that could yield hilarious results. Oswald sports a distinct personality and has been used as an outlet for a variety of gags in his earlier animated shorts. Updating that formula for a modern audience could be a refreshing jolt of energy for Disney. If nothing else, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit should be something different, giving a long-lost character time to shine after decades away from the spotlight.