Armor Wars will explore the character of James "Rhodey" Rhodes in more depth, according to Don Cheadle. Introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008's Iron Man as Tony Stark's (Robert Downey, Jr.) long-suffering best friend, Rhodey was originally played by Terrence Howard before Cheadle took up the role for Iron Man 2 in 2010. Cheadle has portrayed Rhodey ever since, earning the moniker of War Machine in Iron Man 2 and fighting alongside Stark in that film and many thereafter. While Rhodey has been around since Phase 1 of the MCU, he has never headlined a solo-film or gotten a television series, which finally changed when Armor Wars was announced in 2020.

Armor Wars was originally set to become part of the growing Disney+ Marvel television catalog, announced as a six-episode limited series. However, the project was reported to have been retooled into a feature-length film in September due to creative changes and the demands of the story. While such shakeups are sometimes cause for concern, head writer Yassir Lester hasn't left the project, and it's most likely the change will benefit the quality of Armor Wars, which is said to take place after Secret Invasion.

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There is rich potential for the movie, which Cheadle hints at in a new interview. During a sit-down with Entertainment Weekly, he reveals he is most excited to introduce the real Rhodey to viewers, who have so far only seen the character in relation to other major players in the MCU, particularly Tony. After The Falcon and the Winter Soldier allowed both Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) to step out from Steve Rogers' (Chris Evans) shadow, it seems that the Armor Wars movie will follow in that vein and give Rhodey a more personal story. See what Cheadle has to say about his narrative in the upcoming movie below:

What does he want to do? What are his desires outside of the relationship with these people we've already seen? Who is he when he's by himself? A lot of these things we haven't seen before so there's a good opportunity to explore that stuff and hopefully create a full character that now when we see the suit, we see everything else... It's a rebirth in a way. It's coming back to this character, but we've never gone to the places we're about to go in the show, so I feel like in some ways we're just getting to know him even after all this time.

Armor Wars Can Finally Give Rhodey His Due

Rhodey at a hearing in Iron Man 2

Cheadle's comments get to the heart of why Armor Wars is such an exciting prospect for fans of the MCU. War Machine has been an essential character in the franchise, but he was easy to take for granted due to his proximity to the star of Phases 1-3, Iron Man. Tony and Rhodey had a heartwarming and sibling-like dynamic, with the latter often putting up with his brilliant friend's antics and trying to guide him in the right direction. While Rhodey is sure to be affected heavily by the loss of his best friend, embarking on a solo-story will give him a chance to step out of the one role viewers have grown accustomed to seeing him in and truly shine on his own.

In addition, changing Armor Wars from a TV show to a film gives Rhodey a much bigger platform. Cheadle's comments indicate there is a great deal about Rhodey that is still unknown to audiences, giving Armor Wars the exciting opportunity to surprise its viewers as they get to know the man beneath the helmet. Fans of Iron Man can also look forward to hearing Tony's name plenty in Armor Wars, since a main story in the movie is set to center on Tony's technology getting out and Rhodey seeking to track it down before it falls into the wrong hands. Hopefully, Armor Wars' release date will be made official soon, giving fans of the character another project to look forward to.

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Source: EW

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