Iron Man 2 was the third movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the second movie in the Iron Man trilogy. With Robert Downey Jr. in the titular role, the movie features numerous other characters including Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle’s War Machine, and Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer.
There have been numerous instances in which movies have had alternative endings and there are also many scenes that do not make it into the final cut. Iron Man 2 was one such movie. The alternative ending of the movie was a deleted scene in which Don Cheadle’s War Machine has a chance at redemption.
Iron Man 2 Deleted Scene Could Have Redeemed War Machine’s Ex-wife Missile Failure
2008’s Iron Man successfully established Tony Stark (and by that measure, Robert Downey Jr.) as the face of Marvel. Henceforth, Iron Man became the saving grace for numerous Marvel movies such as Avengers: Infinity War and others.
While the first movie sees Tony Stark as a selfish weapon dealer-turned-superhero, the second movie sees him proving to the world that he is no longer selfish and has changed. However, it takes a lot for him to get to the point where he sacrifices himself to defeat Thanos. Among the many people who supported him through this transformative journey were Pepper Potts, Happy, and James Rhodes/War Machine.
At the end of Iron Man 2, James Rhodes fires the ex-wife missile at Vanko during the Monaco Grand Prix fight scene, but it fails to detonate upon impact. Despite the failure of the Ex-Wife Missile, Rhodey continues to fight alongside Iron Man using other means.
In the alternate ending of the movie posted on the YouTube Channel LimitlessRAES, James Rhodes/Rhodey deploys the Ex-Wife Missile on Ivan Vanko, and it works as intended by destroying Vanko’s armor and ending the threat he poses.
This ending would certainly give James a feeling of triumph and also showcase the efficacy of the missile. It would also testify to Rhodey’s capability as the War Machine.
Why Did the Ex-Wife Missile Not Work in the Original Ending?
For those unversed, the Ex-Wife Missile is a specialized missile designed to penetrate advanced armor. Earlier in the movie, Justin Hammer introduced the Hammer Industries weapon as Sidewinder Self-Guided Missile. Justin had said that the weapon had a kinetic-kill sidewinder with a secondary cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) burst.
Essentially, it was designed to be fired from long ranges, with its kinetic energy allowing it to penetrate armored targets. Upon impact, it would detonate with a force equivalent to that of a C4 explosive.
Iron Man had mocked the weaponry’s failure when he witnessed it. The failure was attributed to the rushed development of the missile. However, the actual reason appears to be the fact that it was shot from a very short range instead of the long-range it was supposed to be deployed from.
Iron Man 2 is available for streaming on Disney+.
