Marvel Studios
Cheadle has played Rhodey since 2010’s “Iron Man 2,” after taking over the role from Terrence Howard, who played the character in the first “Iron Man” film. He eventually becomes the hero War Machine after getting his own suit of Iron Man armor.
Cheadle reprised the role in “Iron Man 3,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “Avengers: Endgame.”
In “Endgame,” Downey Jr.’s Iron Man was killed off, seemingly putting an end to the actor’s time in the MCU (at least until that controversial Doom casting). Cheadle’s character survived, later appearing in the Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” “Secret Invasion,” and “What If…?”
Cheadle is expected to reprise his role in ‘Armor Wars,’ but it’s unclear how and when
The actor is expected to play the role again, returning to headline “Armor Wars.” Based on the comic storyline of the same name, the project was first announced as a TV series in December 2020. But it’s unclear what the status is after multiple delays, including reports in 2022 that it was being redeveloped as a movie instead.
Cheadle has been having fun with the press asking after it, quipping “What’s ‘Armor Wars’?” when “Today Show” hosts asked for an update (and perhaps inadvertently spurring fan worries that the project had been canned entirely).
He made a similar joke when Collider asked him about Marvel veteran directors, the Russo brothers, who are returning to spearhead the new Avengers movies in which Downey Jr. will play Doom.
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Cheadle joked when asked if he’d signed on for the Russo brothers’ new “Avengers” movies. “I’ve heard of a Russo Brother. There are two?”
“You know I can’t talk about that stuff,” he added, referencing Marvel’s legendary secrecy surrounding spoilers.
Cheadle will next be seen in “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” alongside Kevin Hart, streaming now on Peacock. Come December 6, he’ll star in the biographical sports drama “Unstoppable,” where he plays Shawn Charles, the coach for Anthony Robles, a real-life wrestler born with only one leg.