In a surprise move, Don Cheadle will replace Terrence Howard as Robert
Downey Jr's best friend in "Iron Man 2," the sequel to the superhero
saga.
In the Marvel Studios summer blockbuster, Howard played Jim Rhodes, Tony
Stark/Iron Man's future armor-clad hero War Machine. One scene featured
Howard looking at a silver suit of armor and saying "Next time," a line
that caused great delight for fans.
But there will be no next time for Howard.
Marvel had no comment, but sources close to the deal said negotiations
with Howard fell through over financial differences, among other
reasons.
Marvel, which had wanted to work with Cheadle, then decided to
take the role in another direction and approached the actor, who is
shooting Antoine Fuqua's "Brooklyn's Finest" with Richard Gere and
Ethan Hawke.
The Rhodes character is expected to play a larger part in the sequel,
which is rumored to go beyond high-tech villains. Justin Theroux is
writing the screenplay.
"Iron Man 2" is
scheduled for release on May 7, 2010;
Cheadle most recently starred in "Traitor," a thriller on which he was
also a producer. He will next be seen in DreamWorks' "Hotel for Dogs."
In a surprise move, Don Cheadle will replace Terrence Howard as Robert
Downey Jr's best friend in "Iron Man 2," the sequel to the superhero
saga.
