Don Cheadle in Iron Man 2

Don Cheadle will don the War Machine armor for Iron Man 2. (Image Courtesy Marvel Comics)"]

Don Cheadle will be replacing Terreance Howard in the role of Jim Rhodes  in Iron Man 2. Rhodes apparently tried to play hardball with Marvel executives and demanded too much money. Whether this rumor is true or not the fact remains that Don Cheadle has in fact been cast in the Rhodes role.

In Iron Man Jim Rhodes was Tony Stark/Iron Man’s best friend. Readers of the comic will probably remember that Rhodes goes on to also become his super-buddy, War Machine. Those same readers were also probably titillated by Rhodes’ comment in the first movie when he is seen staring at a suit of metal armor and says, “Next time.” An indication that War Machine will make an appearance in Iron Man 2 and that Rhodes will have a much bigger role than in the first Iron Man

Don Cheadle is best known for his roles in Picket Fences, Crash, Hotel Rwanda, Ocean’s Eleven and Twelve, Reign Over Me and for being a kick-ass poker philanthropist. Cheadle co-hosts the annual World Series of Poker charity Event Ante-Up for Africa, which raises money for refugees of Darfur.