Cheadle Returns As War Machine For Disney+ Series

There has been an avalanche of Marvel news released over the past few days, such as the Fantastic Four getting an MCU reboot and Rachel McAdams returning for the Doctor Strange sequel. One of the more interesting announcements, though, was that Don Cheadle will reprise the role of War Machine in a new Disney+ series titled, Armor Wars.

This is particularly exciting because, in the wake of Avengers: Endgame, Tony Stark’s best friend was left floundering. There was no mention on when the character would return, or even if he would. Given that War Machine was one of the most prolific characters in the cinematic universe, originally appearing in the first Iron Man movie back in 2008, it was frustrating to not know what was next for the armored hero.

This new streaming show will allow Cheadle’s Rhodey to take the spotlight for the first time, as the character has consistently been a supporting player, appearing in 7 MCU productions. This isn’t the first time that a War Machine feature has been considered, though. Early on in the MCU, after the events of Iron Man 2, there was a push for Cheadle to lead a film. Those plans were eventually scrapped, however, and the proposed plot was folded into Iron Man 3.

As for the story to Armor Wars, it is still under wraps, but it’s likely to be ripped from the comic series of the same name, written by David Michelinie and Bob Layton from 1987 to 1988. If this is indeed the basis for what happens in the series, it will see War Machine on the hunt for stolen Stark technology.

Not only will this show provide Marvel an opportunity to delve into the background of one of its more popular supporting players, it offers the creatives a chance to see the return of some of the characters from past Iron Man films. While there were no other casting announcements, Armor Wars feels like the best place for Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer to reappear. He’s a fan-favorite villain and one of the few to survive their debut film, though he hasn’t been seen since, bar a brief reprisal a Marvel one-shot.

Moreover, it allows the MCU move out of the shadow of Tony Stark. As Spider-Man: Far From Home illustrated, the world wants to know who will be the next Iron Man. And, honestly, who better to take up the mantle than his best friend.

However, as the project was only just announced, there are no concrete specifics on what will be happening in the series. Just fans were excited to hear about Daredevil returning to MCU fold in Spider-Man 3, it is heartening to see Marvel trying to make good on already established characters as the franchise moves into the future. Armor Wars is confirmed to appear on Disney+, but no release or production timeline was provided.