Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man remains one of the most iconic characters to ever grace the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, with that era over due to the events of Avengers: Endgame, the MCU is shifting its focus to Don Cheadle’s Armor Wars.
Don Cheadle in the MCU
It will star Cheadle as James Rhodes a.k.a., War Machine. Although Cheadle initially confirmed the film’s development in 2011, it has been more than a decade since, and still no movie has been released for the character.
Also Read: Marvel Boss Allegedly Said All Black People “Look the same” When Don Cheadle Replaced Terrence Howard in Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man 2
Don Cheadle’s Armor Wars Gets Bittersweet News from an Insider
Previously, Armor Wars was expected to be a series following the events of Secret Wars and Ironheart. However, the decision was scrapped in 2022 and Marvel Studios instead decided to transform it into a feature film.
Speaking of which, according to a scoop by insider Daniel RPK (via Murphy’s Multiverse), the film won’t be released before 2026. Now, that’s a discouraging update for many fans of War Machine around the globe.
The insider reports that the studio will open the new year by searching for a director for the film in hopes of being able to begin production at some point in 2025. That would likely put the film somewhere on the studio’s 2026 slate.
Don Cheadle as War Machine in the MCU
In simple terms, if the MCU finds a director for film in 2024 then only it will be able to release in 2026. On one hand, it’s good news that the project is still under development at the MCU, but at the same time, it seems that the studio will take an annoying amount of time to unveil it to the audience.
Don Cheadle has been a part of the MCU for over a decade and last appeared as War Machine in the 2023 series Secret Invasion. Considering the MCU has just begun working on most of their future projects due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, it won’t be an easy job for the studio to not only finish their future movies/TV shows on time but also maintain a high level of quality.
Also Read: Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man Successor Don Cheadle’s Armor Wars Was “Nowhere near ready” When Kevin Feige Announced it at Disney’s Investors Day
Why is Armor Wars Movie Arriving in 2026?
Marvel studios initially planned to release Armor Wars after Secret Invasion and Iron Heart. However, due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, most projects were delayed and evidently, it impacted some of the future films and TV shows in the MCU as well.
With Secret Invasion already released, Marvel is taking its time with Iron Heart. The miniseries has already finished production in 2022, but many reports suggest that it will be getting a 2025 release date.
Don Cheadle as War Machine in the MCU
Keeping that in mind, it’s no surprise that the MCU wants to ensure that Don Cheadle’s Armor Wars also arrives around the same time. After all, the miniseries is expected to hold some key details to Cheadle’s standalone movie.
Until the two projects arrive, fans can always enjoy watching Secret Invasion on Disney Plus.
