Iron Man not only kick-started phase one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and set the tone for the entire franchise but also introduced a ton of characters that went on to become a mainstay in the epic saga. Chief among them was obviously Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, who led the Avengers to thwart Thanos’ plans.
Before the glamorous Avengers characters assembled, the likes of Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), and James Rhodes (Terrence Howard) stood beside Iron Man. While these characters continued to make their mark in the MCU in different ways, the star behind War Machine could only be part of Tony’s mission for one installment, as dramatic development led to Don Cheadle replacing Howard in the franchise.
What Marvel Executive Told Don Cheadle While Offering Him the Role of War Machine
In Iron Man 2, billionaire inventor Tony Stark finds himself under pressure from powerful sources, including the government, to share his technology with the world, and is subsequently forced to forge new alliances to take on Whiplash. Amid the chaos, Robert Downey Jr.‘s character becomes seemingly self-destructive, leading to his good friend James Rhodes confiscating the Iron Man armor.
This bold move also paved the way for a more prominent role for War Machine in future installments. Despite such a swift and sudden character development and the introduction of a new face in Don Cheadle, fans enjoyed the second installment of Iron Man, which grossed $623.9 million at the box office globally.
Looking back, Cheadle’s entry into the MCU appears to be a very calculated decision. However, at the time, he was only given two hours to make up his mind.
According to MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios (via Reddit – MarvelStudiosSpoilers), the 58-year-old was at his kid’s birthday party when he received a call from a Marvel executive concerning the role of War Machine. He was initially given an hour to decide if he wanted to join the franchise. When Cheadle said he was in the middle of laser tag, the Marvel exec extended the deadline to another hour, replying: “Oh! Oh, take two hours.”
Hats off to Cheadle’s quick thinking, which also eventually opened doors for him to reprise the much-loved role in six more MCU movies.
Why Don Cheadle Replaced Terrence Howard in Iron Man 2
Terrence Howard was impressive in Iron Man and his line “Next time, baby” hinted that a lot was planned for the characters in follow-up movies. Regardless, things didn’t pan out the way many fans expected after the success of the inaugural MCU film.
It is understood that the actor left the franchise after salary negotiations broke down. In the first movie, he was the highest-paid actor on the set but things took a drastic turn after the 2008 hit. According to a report in CBR, his pay was slashed to just $40,000.
Further, as per Entertainment Weekly, Howard’s difficult behavior on the set also didn’t help his cause. Director Jon Favreau and his producers were unhappy with the actor’s performance and spent a lot of time cutting and reshooting his scenes.
The Iron Man train took in Cheadle and departed without Howard, whose career took a sharp downward turn after the late 2000s.
