Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Marvel star Don Cheadle confirms his MCU contract is up after seven films and one TV series

Actor plays Colonel James Rhodes, AKA War Machine, in the hit superhero franchise

Louis Chilton
Tuesday 13 September 2022 03:39 EDT
Comments
Avengers: Infinity War - trailer

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Don Cheadle has revealed that his multi-film contract with Marvel Studios has come to an end.

The actor has played Colonel James Rhodes, AKA War Machine, in seven films across the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) franchise, as well as one TV show.

He made his debut in 2010’s Iron Man 2, replacing Terrence Howard in the role.

Cheadle is set to reprise the role in the forthcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion, alongside Samuel L Jackson’s Nick Fury, and his own series Armor Wars.

However, speaking at Disney’s D23 Expo last weekend, Cheadle revealed that he had come to the end of his pre-contracted time in the MCU.

Marvel habitually sign actors in advance to multi-film deals that sometimes span the better part of a decade.

“I’m done with my contracted years in the MCU,” he said (per Variety).

However, Cheadle sounded optimistic about the prospect of further MCU projects down the line.

“Now, it’s just like, if something sounds fun and I’m presented with it, then yeah, let’s go,” he said.

He also gave fans a short hint at what they can expect from Secret Invasion.

Robert Downey Jr and Don Cheadle in ‘Iron Man 3'
Robert Downey Jr and Don Cheadle in ‘Iron Man 3' (Marvel Studios)

“This sets up what happens in Armor Wars,” he said.“In the trailer, you see that he’s gonna confront Nick Fury. He and Fury are gonna go at it throughout this show as far as what they need to do, given what’s happened on this planet at this point.

“It’s kind of a thriller. It’s a different kind of show than you usually see in the MCU, which is great that we continue to change it up and switch it up. It’s a lot of fun.”

Secret Invasion will debut on Disney+ in early 2023.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in