Armor Wars producer Nate Moore explains why Marvel decided to turn the War Machine Disney+ show into a feature-length movie. Although initially played by Terence Howard in 2008's Iron Man, actor Don Cheadle took over as the character for all of his subsequent MCU appearances. Cheadle's War Machine was last seen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and was set to appear in his very own Disney+ show until it was announced that the project would instead become a film. Information on the Armor Wars movie is being kept under wraps, but it is expected to feature the late Tony Stark's advanced technology falling into the wrong hands.
In a recent interview on Armor Wars from a show to a movie. A big part of the reason, it turns out, is due to the more limited budgets of Marvel's Disney+ shows not being able to effectively serve the ambitious, effects-heavy plans they have for Armors Wars. Check out Moore's full comment below:
“I mean in that case, there were some great ideas that were coming out for that show, but that, to be quite honest, felt too big for that show. […] Kind of conceptually, and from… You know, our Disney+ shows are awesome and we love them, but the budgets are not the same as the features, that’s no secret. And when you’re talking about a show that wants to be about seeing all the cool armors and, you know, Don Cheadle interacting with all these armors and sort of the legacy of Tony Stark, that became kind of cost prohibitive to do as a show. And we realized as a feature, not only can we get into some of the beautiful imagery that is from publishing, and there’s certainly an Armor Wars run, but also there’s ways then to leverage the ideas of that movie and affect other movies down the line.”
What The Armor Wars Movie Decision Could Mean For The MCU
Although details about the project remain hard to come by, Moore's comment suggests that Armor Wars could actually end up being a very significant entry into the MCU. Despite dying back in 2019's Avengers: Endgame, the legacy of Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man continues to be felt in the MCU, with Armor Wars seemingly set to explore this more extensively than any Phase 3 or Phase 4 movie released thus far. In addition to exploring Iron Man's legacy, specifically as it relates to the technological advancements that he introduced into the world, Moore's comment also hints that the War Machine story could set up events to come.
Don Cheadle's character has always been relegated mostly to ing roles in other heroes' stories, so Armor Wars will serve as the first time he actually takes center stage. With Tony Stark and Steve Rogers now gone, it's possible that Rhodes will step into more of a leadership role, especially as the MCU starts to set up the formation of a new Avengers team. If Cheadle’s hero does become a key figure moving forward, War Machine’s demeanor could mean that the MCU will feature a more level-headed leader when it comes to the mentorship of new heroes. Although one of the most powerful Avengers and a fan favorite, Downey Jr.'s Iron Man was somewhat arrogant in many respects and this often caused problems within the MCU.
Cheadle has previously gone on record about the fact that he's no longer contracted to appear in any MCU entries beyond Armor Wars and that he's essentially just taking projects as they come if they interest him. This means that there's no guarantee that the actor will continue to play War Machine beyond Armor Wars, but Moore's comment suggests that they could be setting the hero up to play an important role moving forward. It remains to be seen how Armor Wars will impact the MCU at large and War Machine's place within it, but the project is certainly shaping up to make quite a splash when it does eventually release.
Source: The Town With Matthew Belloni
