In the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, stars have been contractually obligated to appear in a set number of films across several years. Actor Don Cheadle, who has firmly established himself as the franchise's War Machine, is no longer under any such contract.
Speaking to Variety at Disney's D23 Expo, Cheadle explained, "I'm done with my contracted years in the MCU, so now, it's just like, if something sounds fun and I'm presented with it... let's go."
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The actor previously concerned his last contractual obligation was Avengers: Endgame, which premiered in 2019 to widespread success. It appears the actor has not entered into any new contracts with Marvel Studios. The contract was for six films, which he fulfilled with Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.
But James Rhodes has made a handful of appearances outside those required by contract, including a brief cameo in Captain Marvel and a similarly short appearance in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. His appearance on the Disney+ series even earned him an Emmy nomination for Best Guest Actor in a Drama, which confused the actor himself.
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Although he might be done with his contract, Cheadle is not yet done with the MCU. He is set to appear in the upcoming Armor Wars series on Disney+. The actor teased the show will draw heavily from the comic book storyline of the same name. He explained, "If you know anything about the lore, and you've read the comic books, you understand that it's a series that was built around Tony's Stark Tech getting out and Rhodey taking it on to go get this tech back from the bad hands, the bad actors whose hands it is in."
"Armor Wars" was a 7-issue Iron Man story arc written by David Michelinie and Bob Layton, with art by Mark D. Bright and Barry Windsor-Smith. Released between December 1987 and June 1988, the arc followed Tony Stark as the billionaire superhero pursues every armored supervillain he suspects of stealing his Iron Man designs, including Doctor Doom, Crimson Dynamo, Titanium Man and Justin Hammer. Stark becomes increasingly violent and reckless during this time and his fellow Avengers notice, resulting in his expulsion from the team.
Prior to the War Machine-focused series, viewers can look forward to Secret Invasion, which Marvel Studios President and Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige teased will lead into the events of Armor Wars. Secret Invasion is slated to premiere on Disney+ in 2023.
Armor Wars does not yet have an official release date.
Source: Twitter