The MCU is a behemoth force that’s always growing. Those of us who have been watching the Marvel movies in order know the characters well, especially those who have been around since Phase One. That includes James Rhodes, who has been played by Don Cheadle since Iron Man 2. He’s got roles in Marvel’s TV and movie projects that are coming down the line, which will surely excite fans. One of those upcoming Marvel movies is Armor Wars, which should presumably put Rhodey in the spotlight. And Cheadle recently teased War Machine’s story in that Marvel flick.
While Don Cheadle has been an Avenger since back in 2010, he hasn’t gotten the chance to lead his own project yet. But that’s expected to change with Armor Wars, which is currently in development at Marvel Studios. The 58 year-old actor recently spoke to EW about his tenure in the MCU, teasing what’s coming with his upcoming movie, saying:
The fun part about it is that we're going to continue to explore Rhodey and — in some ways for the first time — get to see what makes him tick. We understand his physical challenges, but we haven't really yet dug into a lot of his emotional and psychological [challenges].
Honestly, sign me up. War Machine has always been a favorite Marvel character of mine, even before the big screen cinematic universe was formed. What can I say, I always prefer the sidekick to the main hero. Although given Tony Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame, it’s the perfect time for Rhodey to take up more space in the shared universe. Cheadle makes it sound like we’ll be seeing deeper sides to his signature character in Armor Wars.
Cheadle’s comments about that developing movie come as he’s promoting his role in the Marvel show Secret Invasion, which will be available for those with a Disney+ subscription. But fans are already looking to the future, specifically the movie that’ll put War Machine front and center for the first time. I’m especially curious to see how he’s been coping since the death of Tony Stark.
We're currently in the midst of Phase Five of the MCU, and there are countless questions about how the events of various movies and TV shows will influence the shared universe as a whole. Hopefully more answers are coming, and will build to the next big crossover moment: Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Although it’s unclear if the same actor will still play the title role, given Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles.
Armor Wars doesn’t currently have a concrete release date. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
