Don Cheadle Hints At Rhodey's Future In The MCU Beyond Armor Wars
The Marvel Cinematic Universe might be expanding in weird and unexpected ways after the Infinity Saga came to a close in "Avengers: Endgame," but what about the original crew of superheroes who were there from the beginning?
Don Cheadle's James Rhodes (aka War Machine) has been a mainstay in the franchise since he took over for Terrence Howard in 2010's "Iron Man 2," but his many appearances throughout the years have only ever amounted to cameos or supporting roles amid much busier movies. Though this feels a bit harsh to say out loud, the absence of Robert Downey, Jr.'s Tony Stark may finally give Rhodey a chance to come out from under the popular Avenger's shadow and receive his due. According to Cheadle, that opportunity could come in the upcoming "Armor Wars" series and beyond.
'The Most Exciting Part is Yet to Come'
Don Cheadle is coming off a tremendous performance in Steven Soderbergh's "No Sudden Move" earlier this year and a somewhat more questionable appearance in "Space Jam: A New Legacy," but the actor is never far removed from making a brief appearance in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," voicing War Machine in "Marvel's What If...?" series, or answering questions about Rhodey's future in the franchise. Cheadle recently spoke at ACE Comic Con (via Murphy's Multiverse) to discuss his remaining untapped potential:
"I think the most exciting part is yet to come. I think we don't really have a super strong idea who he is really, outside of that bubble of the Avengers, outside of necessarily his friendship with Tony, and now he's gonna kind of be untethered from all of that. So it's an opportunity to really kind of discover who he is in a way that we have not had before with concentrated time and focus on Rhodey and Rhodey's journey and hopefully some stuff about his past and teeing up some things about his potential future.
"Who knows how long this Marvel thing goes, it seems kind of unending and we might all die on set ... but I think those kinds of things were kind of hinted at in an Endgame where this character might go and the things that may be in the offing for him."
Cheadle delivered that last quip about dying on set with a chuckle, but his point his very well taken. With how long the MCU has lasted, it's hard to find fault with any actor who wishes their character would be given much more of a spotlight. Cheadle will appear in the Disney+ "Armor Wars" series, as previously confirmed, and his comments certainly point towards more to come from the armored Avenger afterwards.
"Armor Wars" will premiere on Disney+ in 2022.