Variety has discovered that Marvel's "Armor Wars," which was initially intended to be a TV series for Disney+, is now being produced as a feature film.
Don Cheadle will play War Machine's alter ego James "Rhodey" Rhodes in "Armor Wars," reprising his MCU role. The project is based on the seven-issue Iron Man narrative arc in Marvel Comics of the same name, and it follows Rhodes as he must deal with what occurs when Tony Stark's technology is misused. The project will continue to be written by Yassir Lester, who was initially slated to serve as the series' lead author.
Related: Ryan Reynolds Teases Hugh Jackman’s Return As Wolverine For Deadpool 3
This is Marvel's second significant reorganisation this week. Just two months prior to the start of shooting, "Blade" director Bassam Tariq announced his departure from the project, potentially delaying the movie's Nov. 2023 release date. It's unknown when "Armor Wars" will hit theatres, so it won't fit into that release date.
The events of "Secret Invasion," an MCU TV series that will premiere in early 2023 on Disney+ and include Cheadle's Rhodes, will be followed by "Armor Wars," according to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, who made the announcement at the D23 Expo in Anaheim earlier this month. The actor discussed the connection between the two movies while they were on the red carpet with Variety's Marc Malkin.
"You can see in the trailer that he must confront Nick [Fury.] As far as what they need to do, given what has already occurred on this world, he and Fury will battle it out throughout this programme."
Cheadle teased,
“It’s kind of a thriller and a different kind of show than you usually see in the MCU, which is great that we can continue to keep changing it up and switching it up. It’s lots of fun.”
Additionally, Cheadle stated that he has fulfilled his first contractual responsibilities to Marvel Studios and that he is open to taking on new MCU projects. Now I just say, "Yeah, let's go," if something sounds nice and is offered to me. To be noted, Cheadle received a Primetime Emmy nomination for his final performance as Rhodes in 2021's "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."
Also Read: Game of Thrones is currently attracting a larger audience than House of the Dragon
Speculatively, based on the comic books, "Armor Wars" villains like Stilt-Man, the Crimson Dynamo, and Justin Hammer, who was portrayed by Sam Rockwell in "Iron Man 2," could make an appearance. In 1987 and 1988, David Michelinie and Bob Layton co-wrote the "Armor Wars" comics, which Mark D. Bright and Barry Windsor-Smith illustrated.
The change from a series to a movie was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.