Don Cheadle has made a name for himself in the industry by appearing in renowned franchises. This includes his roles as the War Machine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Basher Tarr in the Ocean’s trilogy. But besides these, many fans might also associate him with the live-action Captain Planet shorts. A series of short videos done with the comedy group named Funny or Die with him playing a quirky planet-loving superhero was quite a thing among the fans.
Don Cheadle’s portrayal of a superhero very different from the classic Marvel or DC culture garnered an amazing fanbase. Few even speculated that Cheadle might return in a full-fledged movie as Captain Planet but the actor revealed that nothing’s happening like that.
Captain Planet was a pain for Don Cheadle
Initially, Captain Planet came as an animated TV Show for kids. The environment enthusiast superhero program acted as an edutainment series. But when the 58-year-old actor took on the responsibility to carry on his live-action legacy through sketch videos, the experience was not such a great one.
Speaking with GQ, Don Cheadle opened up about how he got his hands on the role. According to him, the idea came up when he was collaborating with the team on another sketch about a “ball spa” for men. He didn’t know anything about the character when it was offered to him but took it because it sounded funny.
“I didn’t know what Captain Planet was. He is like, ‘Captain Planet’s animated, he’s gonna save the earth, and you did all this stuff for the environment. You’re the goodwill ambassador for the environment program. We think this is a great fit.’ So, I read the thing, it made me laugh, so I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.'”
But things didn’t go as the Iron Man 2 actor anticipated. He was shocked when it was revealed to him that the role will need him to put on excessive makeup on the face. The role that sounded funny and interesting to him soon turned into a regretful nightmare. Looking at the transformation that the role expected, he was almost on the verge of leaving it behind before being somehow convinced.
“So, I’m sitting down in the makeup chair, and they start to come up with this blue face paint. I was like, ‘What’s that?’ They’re like, ‘Well, it’s Captain Planet.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t want to do that.’ And they’re like, ‘Well, this is how Captain Planet looks.’ and they showed me the picture of him. I was like, ‘That’s ridiculous. I don’t wanna do it.’ I almost left, and I don’t know how they talked me into doing it. Somebody talked me into doing it.”
Don Cheadle added:
“So, I did it and immediately regretted it after I did it. But, then I saw it, and it made me laugh, so I thought it was pretty funny, and now, it’s ridiculous how many people talk about that character.”
Now, this response also came as an answer to some of the fans who expected that Don Cheadle might want to reprise the role for a full-length movie. Looking at his words, it is evident that he was not at all impressed by the Captain Planet transformation procedure and just did it for fun. It is highly unlikely for him to go through all that pain again. But even though Cheadle is highly uninterested in Captain Planet, his MCU future looks very bright.
What does MCU have for Don Cheadle in the future?
Don Cheadle took over the role of James Rhodes aka War Machine in Iron Man 2 after Terence Howard left the role following the first movie. Since then, he had a prosperous journey in the superhero universe.
He also spoke in the interview about how the character of War Machine is yet to be explored more in the MCU. We will watch more of him in the upcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion. But Cheadle’s MCU journey is going to expand more as he will get his first standalone movie, Armor Wars. Initially what was planned as a series was changed into a full-length movie. Now more updates about these projects will be eagerly awaited.
You can watch Don Cheadle is Captain Planet videos on the Funny or Die YouTube channel while all his MCU ventures can be streamed on Disney+.
Source: GQ
