Don Cheadle will star as War Machine in a new Marvel Studios Disney+ series Armor Wars. Colonel James Rhodes has been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the beginning, but it wasn't until Iron Man 2 that Cheadle took over the role. Once he replaced Terrence Howard, Cheadle has been able to suit up as War Machine in multiple MCU films. All of his appearances have been directly tied to his friendship with Tony Stark aka Iron Man.

Following the death of Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame, War Machine's future in the MCU was unclear. When Marvel Studios unveiled the Phase 4 slate of movies and Disney+ shows, there were no projects that he was confirmed to be part of. However, it seemed likely that War Machine would return, although probably in a supporting capacity once again. Marvel attempted to make a War Machine solo film early on, but it never materialized, which kept him out of a leading role until now.

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Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed during Disney's Investor Day 2020 that one of the new MCU Disney+ shows in the works is a series starring Don Cheadle's War Machine. The series, titled Armor Wars, is based on the seven-issue comic run of the same name written by David Michelinie and Bob Layton from 1987 to 1988. Armor Wars follows Iron Man in the comics after Stark tech is stolen, but it will be War Machine at the center of the MCU's take.

Armor Wars logo

This short Armor Wars arc becoming a Disney+ series will finally give Marvel Studios a chance to prop up one of its biggest supporting characters. War Machine has been in seven MCU movies to this point, but he's yet to have a chance to really shine or show audiences some of his fabled War Machine adventures he likes to brag about. That will change with Armor Wars on every front, while also giving the MCU a way to keep some of Iron Man's characters around in the MCU. With Tony Stark no longer around, it will be interesting to see Rhodey presumably doing what he can to keep his best friend's technology out of the wrong hands.

As with all of Marvel Studios' content, Armor Wars will be the latest chance to incorporate many elements from the MCU's past, present, and future. The comics saw Tony Stark work with Scott Lang to determine who stole his tech, and Avengers: Endgame helped establish a comedic back and forth between Ant-Man and War Machine. Since Rhodey isn't nearly as tech-savvy as Tony, he'll likely need the help of Scott to track down the missing gear, or he could even reach out to Riri Williams, who is also getting an Ironheart Disney+ series. This storyline also sees Justin Hammer acquire Tony's stolen designs, so Armor Wars could be a chance for the MCU to finally bring back Sam Rockwell as the Iron Man 2 villain. Since Armor Wars was just announced, it might still be a while before such information is confirmed.

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Source: Disney

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