Don Cheadle may have received an Emmy nomination for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but he's got plenty of other movies and TV shows on tap. While Cheadle has been acting regularly in Hollywood since the late 1980s, and often earned acclaim, it wasn't until his leading role in the 2004 drama film Hotel Rwanda that he truly broke out as an A-list talent. Cheadle won an Oscar for his work, and effectively put the world on notice that he was an actor to be reckoned with.
Cheadle has had a great career since, both on the big screen and in TV shows. Cheadle is likely best known to the masses for his recurring role as James Rhodes/War Machine in the MCU, having so far appeared in seven MCU movies. He also put in a brief turn in Disney+'s Falcon and the Winter Soldier show, for which Cheadle was nominated for an Emmy, despite being onscreen for less time than it takes to make a good cup of coffee. Even Cheadle seems puzzled by the whole thing.
Perhaps the Emmy voters just love them some Cheadle, as he's previously been nominated a whopping nine times, mostly for his work on the acclaimed Showtime comedies House of Lies and Black Monday. For Cheadle's loyal fans, they'll be plenty of upcoming chances to see him command the screen, and here's everything confirmed so far. For those who just can't wait, he's also part of the just-released sequel Space Jam: A New Legacy cast as the villain opposite LeBron James.
Black Monday Season 3
This isn't entirely an upcoming Don Cheadle project, but it does still have episodes left to air. Black Monday, as mentioned above, has earned Cheadle Emmy nominations for his performance as successful New York City stockbroker Maurice Monroe, and the other traders at the firm Jammer Group. The show is set around the time of the titular day in 1987 that saw stock markets around the world crash, sending the financial world into hysterics. Black Monday has yet to be renewed for a fourth season, but it wouldn't be surprising. The final two episodes of season 3 air on July 25 and August 1, 2021.
The Wonder Years
The TV show reboot/revival trend continues, with ABC prepping a redo of the classic dramedy The Wonder Years, which looked back at the 1960s childhood of a boy named Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) through the eyes of his adult self. The new Wonder Years retains the same basic idea, but moves the setting to Montgomery, Alabama, and centers the story on a Black family, specifically a boy named Dean Williams, played by Elisha "EJ" Williams. Doing the narration of adult Dean will be Cheadle, taking over from Home Alone's Daniel Stern, who voiced adult Kevin. The Wonder Years premieres on September 22, 2021.
White Noise
Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, who was recently nominated for an Oscar for Marriage Story, White Noise may share a name with a terrible 2005 horror film, but it's thankfully unrelated. This White Noise is based on a novel of the same name by author Don DeLillo, released in 1985, and is in the works for a 2022 Netflix release. The plot focuses on Professor Jack Gladney (Adam Driver), who oddly specializes in the study of Hitler, and finds his small-town existence turned upside down by the Airborne Toxic Event, a chemical spill that threatens everyone. Cheadle will play a university colleague of Gladney's looking to specialize in studying Elvis Presley.
Armor Wars
One of many future Marvel Studios shows in the works for Disney+, Armor Wars will for the first time allow Cheadle's James Rhodes to take the lead role in an MCU project. As usual for Marvel, story and character details are being kept close to the chest, and Cheadle is so far the only confirmed cast member. Armor Wars is confirmed to be an adaptation of the popular Marvel Comics arc of the same name and will explore the ramifications of Tony Stark's advanced technology finding its way into the wrong hands. Considering the MCU's track record on Disney+ so far, this show really stands to make Cheadle an even bigger star.
Black Stallions
Another reportedly on its way to Netflix, Black Stallions is currently a bit of a question mark for Cheadle's future, as there have been no new updates on the project since 2018. Still, what's little is known about Black Stallions makes it sound like a natural success story. Cheadle would co-lead alongside comedy superstar Kevin Hart and Get Out scene-stealer Lil' Rel Howery as rival jockeys who also happen to be brothers, just to make things more contentious. Netflix is said to have engaged in a bidding war for the project, so it's puzzling that there's been seemingly no movement on it since, at least not revealed to the public.
Prince of Darkness
This one is another question mark, as it hasn't had an official update made public since 2017, but again, it sounds like a can't-miss prospect. Cheadle signed on to both produce and star in Prince of Darkness, based on author Shane White's book of the same name that chronicled the life of Jeremiah G. Hamilton, the 19th century's richest Black man in America. Hamilton was a pioneer in the world of Wall Street, despite the inherent limitations the society of the time put on him, amassing a fortune of $2 million, marrying a white woman, owning a mansion, and even owning stock in trains he legally couldn't ride. Cheadle seems like the perfect choice to bring such a memorable real-life character to the big screen.
Future MCU Projects
Last but not least, while Armor Wars is currently the only confirmed MCU project coming up for Don Cheadle, there's no reason to believe he won't appear in other upcoming MCU movies and shows besides that. This is especially true of the Disney+ Ironheart show, which sees young Black woman Riri Williams effectively take over the Iron Man mantle, to an extent. With Tony Stark not around to mentor her himself, it wouldn't at all be surprising to see Tony's best friend Rhodey look out for Riri from the sidelines, and perhaps offer advice.