It’s interesting looking back at the MCU and seeing how things shook out for its stars. Jeremy Renner got his Hawkeye series, and Scarlett Johansson finally got her Black Widow film, but Don Cheadle… well, he hasn’t really gotten his project yet. And that feels odd to me. Cheadle is a seriously talented actor – a name that draws audiences. You’d think a top-billed Don Cheadle movie would be a sure thing! Yet, looking at his appearances – Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, both Avengers and Captain America films, Captain Marvel, Endgame, even the Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Secret Invasion – he’s consistently been a supporting player, often just popping up for a cameo. It’s a bit of a waste, honestly.
Don Cheadle hasn’t had many opportunities to really shine as War Machine, but the upcoming Armor Wars project could finally change that. It’s been in development for a while, and fans are eager to see it become a reality.
What Is the History of Armor Wars Production?
Marvel is deliberately releasing fewer movies and shows at a time to create more excitement between each release. Currently, three movies are planned: Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, and Avengers: Secret Wars (scheduled for 2027). On the TV side, we can look forward to Wonder Man, season two of Daredevil: Born Again, season two of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and VisionQuest in 2026. For 2027, Daredevil: Born Again season three and a potential third season of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man are also planned.
Things are looking sparse for Marvel content in 2027, and Armor Wars could potentially fill a slot. However, there haven’t been any updates on its development for a long time. A major issue is that Armor Wars was intended to be a continuation of the story from Secret Invasion, which was widely considered one of the weakest projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
There’s still interest in a James Rhodes (War Machine) movie, and the planned story for Armor Wars sounds promising. Don Cheadle once described the film – initially conceived as a War Machine movie – as exploring the conflict between Rhodes’ duty as a soldier, his commitment to his principles, and a rapidly changing world.
It makes sense that a strong personal struggle would have carried over into the Armor Wars story. If so, the source of that conflict would likely have been the weapons of his deceased best friend being misused.
That brings up another interesting point. With Kang no longer planned as the main villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Robert Downey Jr. returning as Doctor Doom, it seems the characters have moved on from mourning Tony Stark’s death in Endgame.
Tony Stark passed away in October 2023, and Peter Parker dealt with that loss in Spider-Man: Far From Home. We then see James Rhodes in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in 2024, witnessing Sam Wilson donate Captain America’s shield to a museum. Sometime between then and the events of Secret Invasion in 2026, Rhodes is kidnapped by the Skrull general Gravik and replaced by a Skrull agent named Raava, though he is later rescued by G’iah. We haven’t really seen Rhodes process his grief over Stark’s death, and it would be impactful to explore that through him honoring Stark’s memory. However, now that he’s facing an image of his deceased friend as a villain, it’s questionable whether the storyline planned for Armor Wars can still work.
This project feels like it’s lost its momentum. It was first revealed in 2020 as a Disney+ series, with plans to explore how Rhodey dealt with Tony Stark’s death. Don Cheadle even stated in 2021 that filming would begin within a few months, but that never happened.
The series never actually began production, not even when it was initially planned for October or November 2022. Around that time, in late September 2022, it was announced that the project would be reworked as a movie, and that was the last official update we received. It appears Marvel has shifted its focus elsewhere. For example, Dominique Thorne’s Ironheart, who first appeared in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, received a dedicated Disney+ series instead of returning in the planned show.
It’s particularly frustrating for fans of Sam Rockwell that Armor Wars isn’t moving forward as expected. His character, Justin Hammer, is considered by many to be one of the MCU’s strongest supporting villains, and his inclusion would have fit perfectly with the story. For a while, Rockwell was frequently discussed as being involved, but it now appears Hammer won’t be returning to the MCU after all.
https://comicbook.com/movies/news/marvel-armor-wars-writer-tv-series-movie-changes-explained/embed/#
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2026-01-02 02:40