HOLLYWOOD -- Jon Favreau finally has an iron-clad directing project. For the past few years, Favreau has been trying to green light a film version of Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars.

Paramount Pictures recently put that project, inspired by the writings of the man who also created Tarzan, on the back burner. Fortunately for Favreau, the film wing of Marvel Comics asked him to direct a movie based on its vintage comic book series Iron Man.

THE SUN: Why is Marvel Comics producing this film basically on their own?

FAVREAU: They wanted more control. This is a superhero dear to their hearts. Iron Man is the biggest superhero left who doesn't have a film franchise yet.

THE SUN: How sincere is their commitment to the film?

FAVREAU: They've set a summer 2008 release, which means we'll start shooting in January. You can't get more committed than that.

THE SUN: Both Tom Cruise and Nicolas Cage have indicated they're interested in portraying Iron Man. Have you talked to either of them?

FAVREAU: Stark will be played by a relative unknown. We don't need a marquee name to sell the film. The character is the star.

THE SUN: Wouldn't it be considered a coup if you could get someone like Cruise at a budget price?

FAVREAU: Stars bring too much baggage with them. I don't think Daredevil benefited by casting Ben Affleck at the height of his popularity, even if he did desperately want to play the character. Tobey Maguire was a relative unknown when he was cast in Spider-Man. That's the kind of actor I'm looking for. Someone with experience but a low profile.

THE SUN: Aren't you afraid special effects will eat up most of your budget? Special effects for Superman Returns are rumoured to have pushed that budget up to $250-million US.

FAVREAU: There's a way to be scrappy with special effects. You have to make them work for your film and not the opposite. I think I proved that with Zathura.

THE SUN: Why do you think Zathura was such a box-office disappointment?

FAVREAU: No one could pronounce the title, and that was just the beginning of the problems the studio (Columbia Pictures) had trying to release it.

THE SUN: You have a cameo in your friend Vince Vaughn's comedy The Break-Up. Weren't you disappointed he didn't ask you to direct?

FAVREAU: Absolutely not. That was the whole appeal for me. Vince phoned and said I could just be an actor. It was so great not having to worry about directing or writing, or both.