Although the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going strong for over a decade and shows no signs of slowing down, not every MCU character will be fortunate enough to get their own standalone film. Colonel James Rupert Rhodes has been a part of the MCU since the very beginning, and following the release of IRON MAN 2, Marvel was even developing a War Machine spin-off. Joe Robert Cole, who would later go on to co-write BLACK PANTHER, was tasked with penning the script, but as IRON MAN 3 began to take shape, it was decided that the WAR MACHINE film would be scrapped.
While chatting with Entertainment Weekly about the upcoming AVENGERS: ENDGAME, Don Cheadle gave a small tease regarding the WAR MACHINE spin-off which never was.
We kicked it around a bit. There was definitely going to be a lot of tension between his job as a military man and his allegiances to the code that he swore an oath to uphold, versus the changing world. I think they probably would have run afoul of each other a little bit, but I don’t know if he would have been a straight fugitive, or if he would have become decommissioned. But there was definitely going to be some tension between those two worlds.
Who knows, maybe Rhodey will get his chance to shine after all; assuming he survives the events of AVENGERS: ENDGAME that is. Speaking of ENDGAME, Don Cheadle naturally couldn't say much regarding the secretive film, but he did say that he's certainly a full-fledged member of the Avengers this time around. "He’s now solidly one of The Avengers, and they are trying to pick up the pieces after the last movie. I think they’re all trying to figure out what they’re supposed to do, or who they are, or how they fit, or what they are. It’s a strain on the whole group," Cheadle said. "There’s definitely more of a feeling of belonging with them. He’s not so much straddling one foot in the military. He’s much more on the side of The Avengers than he was prior." Would you be down for a standalone WAR MACHINE movie?
AVENGERS: ENDGAME will hit theaters on April 26th.