A moment of pure geek delight in Iron Man occurred when Terrence Howard, in the role of Jim Rhodes, looked over at the Mark II armor and said “next time, baby.” This of course refers to Jim’s destiny to don the armor and a massive shoulder cannon and become Iron Man’s flying partner, War Machine.
According to a report this morning, Terrence will never get that chance. Negotiations between the actor and Marvel Studios fell through on Iron Man 2 for monetary and other reasons. This comes after director John Favreau had all but confirmed War Machine would play a big role in the upcoming 2010 sequel.
With Howard out, Marvel will tap the services of Don Cheadle to step into the shoes of Jim Rhodes and ultimately War Machine. Cheadle’s character acting, range and experience extends far beyond Howard’s which will bring a new dimension to the burgeoning character.
Justin Theroux is currently penning the much-anticipated screenplay with Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow expected to return. Look for Iron Man 2 in theaters in April 2010.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
