Don Cheadle was set to portray Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes, also known as War Machine, in the project’s first development as a Disney+ original. At this month’s D23 Expo, where they unveiled the show’s official logo, the actor and Marvel chief creative officer Kevin Feige previewed the next project. The Oscar contender and the creator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe said Armor Wars would be a six-episode series that will follow the events of the upcoming Secret Invasion, albeit they were quite vague in their details.
Now sources tell the Hollywood Reporter that Marvel has scrapped the TV show in favor of a full-length movie. The magazine writes that “the studio was committed in getting the story told the right way and in that process realized that a feature was better suited for the project,” insiders said, adding that it’ll get a theatrical release.
In a recent interview with ComicBook, Cheadle discussed Armor Wars and said it would portray a different side of Rhodey. The 57-year-old actor, who made his acting debut in Iron Man 2 (2010), said that “it’s going to be very surprising to a lot of people.” And the best part is that he will have a ton of opportunities to learn about himself, while we will hopefully be able to understand what makes him tick.
The Disney+ series in 2021 Cheadle made his sixth appearance in an MCU project with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.