Don Cheadle Replaces Terrence Howard in Iron Man 2
Posted by: Alex Zalben on October 14, 2008 at 7:57 am
I kind of thought this was a joke when I read Bendis’ tweet about it, but nope, the legit press confirms it: Terrence Howard is out, Don Cheadle is in.
Which is actually not that shocking, if you think about it.
At first, my reaction was one of shock: in the current movie landscape, the consistency of the product is important to fans. In particular, Iron Man 2 is in the precarious position of keeping Marvel Studios going. Since Incredible Hulk didn’t dominate the B.O., IM2 has to do spectacularly, or the first movie ends up seeming like a fluke. So you don’t want to piss off fans, who generally enjoyed Howard’s performance.
However, and bear with me for a second, Katie Holmes replacement didn’t hurt The Dark Knight.
Now, first off, I know nobody loved Holmes in Batman Begins. However, I’d argue that The Dark Knight would have done just as well, and been just as good with or without Holmes. No knock to Maggie Gyllenhall, but Rachel Dawes is a crappy part, crappily written. Nobody had a problem with the replacement actress.
Jim Rhodes, in Iron Man, was the girlfriend part, not Pepper Potts, who played the partner role. With Rhodes stepping it up in the next movie, taking out the soft voiced actor (Howard), and replacing him with an actor skilled in conveying bad-ass (Don Cheadle), is actually a smart move.
It’s not going to throw anyone, I think; and, in fact, it may make the movie better.
jawshoowah October 14th, 2008
I think Terrence Howard is a perfectly fine actor, but I feel that this will be the right move in the long run.
I believe that this is the difference between marvel movies before Marvel Studios and now. I feel that there is a greater value placed on the quality of the actors in the picture and I believe that it will show on film. In much the same way that I feel the acting in say..fantastic 4, for example, was serviceable but didn’t help drive the movie forward, I feel about Terrence Howard’s Jim Rhodes.
Perhaps, in a role that doesn’t require the emotion that I imagine this role will in IM2, Terrence’s soft spoken subtlety could flourish, but I don’t think he can truly capture War Machine. By going after someone with the acting chops that Don Cheadle clearly possesses I feel even better about the future of this franchise than I previously did.
Raul October 14th, 2008
…and “The Worst Idea of the Year Award” goes to…
Tobi O'Brien September 5th, 2009
I was so looking forward to seeing Howard in the sequel that I admit to being deeply disappointed. Sadly Howard appears to have eliminated himself in a bout of swagger. Granted Cheedle is a heavyweight thespian and will do a better job with one arm tied behind his back. Still I was hoping to see a young star continue asending. Been watching Howard the last couple of years and he is growing as an actor. Perhaps this misstep will prove more instructive in the long run. Can’t wait to see the sequel.
