There was at least one good thing to come out of the high profile dismissal of actor Terrence Howard from the sequel to last year’s blockbuster hit Iron Man — the news that Don Cheadle would be taking over the part of Col. James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes. The Oscar winning actor’s resume boast an impressive variety of roles, from serious dramas like Crash, Hotel Rwanda and Traffic to more lighthearted fare like Ocean’s Eleven and its two sequels. And while we were disappointed to hear that Howard would not return for Iron Man 2, we think Cheadle could do a lot with the role of Tony Stark’s confidant and the man destined to wear the War Machine armor.
Cheadle recently spoke with IGN about taking over the role, how he felt about replacing his friend and what we might expect from the character in the next film.
IGN: How did you get involved with Iron Man 2?
Cheadle: I got a phone call from my agent saying they were offering me the part. That was kind of it. It happened very fast, and I had a very short time to answer. Literally, overnight. I was unaware of what was happening with Terrence. And when they called me I asked what was going on with Terrence. I’ve worked with Terrence, I’ve known Terrence for a long time. And they said they were moving away from him. So it’s not like I was taking Terrence’s job, because the job was already gone. Someone else was going to do the part. I don’t know who the next person in line was, but that’s who they were going to. And I literally had a few hours to accept the job or not.
IGN: How much can you reveal about the story?
Cheadle: I can’t reveal anything because I’ve seen nothing. I have no idea. There’s no script yet. All I know is as much as you know, that Rhodey looked at that suit and said, ‘Next time.’ So I imagine I’m going to be in a suit.
To read more about Don Cheadle’s transition to War Machine, check out more at IGN.com.
