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Don Cheadle and the future of a War Machine Spin-off!

Don Cheadle, who plays Col. James Rhodes in Iron Man 2, has revealed new information about his future as War Machine and what it was like to replace Terrence Howard!


The article is as follows...

TF: So you'd like to see Iron Man 2 continue the first film's political engagement?
DC: People were surprised that Iron Man was really good and had more to it-that's attributable to Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. Hopefully that will continue. If this rolls out how it's supposed to, I'll do five movies for Marvel...I've always wanted to be in a big superhero movie and I'll actually be in some of the action. I like doing as much of that stuff as I can, so you wanna be fit! Let's hope I get the armour on. In the first movie Rhodey did say, "Next time."

TF: Was it strange excepting the role after Terrence Howard?

DC: I got a call out of the blu saying, "Do you want this part? Terrence isn't doing it." I said, "You're not firing him for me?" and they said, "We're not-he's out of it". After I acccepted, I saw Terrence and he said, "I know you don't know what went on because I didn't know what was going on!" Terrence is my boy, I've known him for a long time-it's all good. I imagine there'll be a fair amount of people who want to see Terrence again.

TF: Would you like to see a Rhodey/War Machine spin-off?
DC: Actually, I hope to retire. I'm only half-joking. It would be great to have a character that you could take off with. If it was Rhodey that would be interesting but I have young children. If it meant spending monthsand months away from home, it's not worth that. You've caught me at a very ambivalent moment. I'm gonna be a good soldier, I know that!


So what 5 films might Rhodey be involved with, and what does this mean for the future of War Machine?
36 Yes
3 No
JoshW
4/9/2009

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70 Comments

Great, they sign on a guy who has yet to film his first appearance in one of the movies and he's ALREADY saying he won't do a spin-off if it's successful. Seriously, get rid of him now before it's too late and get someone who will embrace it like Hugh Jackman has with Wolverine.
MetalHead - 4/9/2009, 8:27 AM
I agree! If he can't be committed then he should be out. Nothing wrong with saying he wants to spend time with his family. But the fans want someone attached to a role not just strolling through.
schuellerdg - 4/9/2009, 8:43 AM
IS THAT WHAT THE SUIT WILL LOOK LIKE?..I TRUST IN WHATEVER FAVREAU THINKS IS GOOD...
GUNSMITH - 4/9/2009, 8:48 AM
Well, he did say if things go well he will do 5 movies with Marvel. You have to assume one of the 5 will be a spin off. The rest are probably Iron 3, Avengers & Nick Fury.
Khonshu - 4/9/2009, 8:57 AM
man they are making spin-offs of everything now arnt they
tyko450 - 4/9/2009, 9:04 AM
a war machine spin off wouldnt work anyway, haha why did that guy get so upset in the first post?

damn isnt 5 movies enough!

loganaspatch - 4/9/2009, 9:49 AM
Agree interesting comment bout possibly being in 5 Marvel Movies. Does that mean he will make a Cameo in the Cap or Avengers Moviee?
Spock - 4/9/2009, 9:52 AM
I'm looking forward to Don Cheadle as Rhodey. He's a better actor than Terrance Howard in my opinion, and he brings a stronger image to the role.

As for a spin-off of War Machine? I just don't think the War Machine character warrents a spin-off. He's just another guy in a slightly different Iron Man suit. Some of the fanboys may rant and rave about the details of various stories, but the general public would just see it as a weak version of Iron Man.

Besides, I admire him taking a strong position on his family. He'll take smaller roles in more movies so he doesn't have to be away from the kids. Good for him!
Local Man - 4/9/2009, 10:04 AM
lol i agree with loganaspatch isnt 5 movies enough and the man said he wants to be able to raise his kids u gotta respect that hes a father i just wanna see the movie when it comes out. cant wait to see how they do the war machine armor and wondering if they are gonna introduce any more of the Iron man armors
CaptainAmerica87 - 4/9/2009, 10:26 AM
Both are great actors. Either one will give a great performace in this role. I just think the situation was handled inappropriately. I hope that Terrence will do future superhero movies but different roles. I think he would do really great as the Falcon.
THULK - 4/9/2009, 10:44 AM
Local Man +1

and i think he will make cameos in other movies just not as the war machine character but as rhodey the ..head of military or whatever his title is.
loganaspatch - 4/9/2009, 10:45 AM
wtf man? get howard back now. if they do a war machine movie then what? we will have the james bond or batman syndrome going on. a dif actor in every movie. no no no no
grif - 4/9/2009, 10:52 AM
Everybody has to chill out. Its not that Don Cheadle is not embracing being War Machine/James Rhodes, he just doesnt want to do a spin-off movie on a character that has no business having a spin-off. Dont get me wrong, i love War Machine as a character but not everybody should get a spin-off movie. Local Man has a point he is really just another guy in a Tony Stark made suit or armor. James Rhodes is a cool guy but they shouldnt create a whole movie based on him alone.


Peace
chris915 - 4/9/2009, 11:09 AM
I don't care who plays Rhodey, the character is nowhere near interesting enough for a solo endeavor.
TheMyth - 4/9/2009, 11:17 AM
Cheadle's a good actor, that much is for sure. But I m not sure hes' the best choice for Rhodes. James Rhodes is a real HERO. he's a soldier. A patriot. A man of action. Back when he was Iron Man he was every bit as good as Stark, maybe even better. When I look at Cheadle just think of...Basher lol From Oceans 11
Juggernaut - 4/9/2009, 11:21 AM
Myth how can you say that he is ummm like.... ummm.... he is black? ummm....Kinda reminds me of John Stewart, pointless and token there are tons of other ppl who would be more interesting like Falcon.
Smolo - 4/9/2009, 11:21 AM
YO "TheProgram!", watch it with the "n" word.
GrimReaper90 - 4/9/2009, 11:24 AM
I'm looking forward to Cheadle. Nothing against Howard as an actor, but he really didn't quite do it for me as Rhodes in the first movie.
mwmcintyre - 4/9/2009, 11:51 AM
TheMyth @ what are you on???? WAR MACHINE would be the nuts as a spin off movie!!! I hope DON knows how lucky he is getting the part. ; ) JUG @ your the man!!! :thumbs
LEEE777 - 4/9/2009, 11:55 AM
Back lol! Talking spin offs, ive just heard SONYS starting up VENOM!!!! God i hope its more VENOM than SPIDEY 3! I wish it would be a R Rated!!!! ; )
LEEE777 - 4/9/2009, 12:29 PM
LEE777 .. is war machine a sidekick?, giving war machine a spin off would be the same as giving robin a spin off. and when is that going to happen? NOT-NEVER :)

i see war machine has his followers, i stated elsewhere i do not know much about ironman so im just commenting on what would make sense and TheMyth and Local Man hit the nail on the head.
loganaspatch - 4/9/2009, 12:34 PM
Don is an awesome actor and I'm sure he will do a great job as Rhodey, but War Machine is a C-Lister at best. Sorry War Machine Fans.
LastSon1027 - 4/9/2009, 12:42 PM
Yeah i think Cheadle is better than Howard..not by much but i tend to enjoy his movies more. They were both amazing in Crash.

War Machine spin off? Doesnt sound too appealing, but ill wait and see how much i like the character in Iron Man 2 first
RorMachine - 4/9/2009, 1:06 PM
Don Cheadle is a awesome actor, i hate when they switch up actors inbetween movies but I think he'll do a great job. War Machine spin off i don't know but if you got good writers and a kick'n director then anything could happen. But for some reason I keep thinking of Shaq's "Steel" when i think War machine movie :-O suck!

shadowboxer - 4/9/2009, 1:21 PM
Still prefer terrence howard....cheadle doesnt have the build for this role he is an awesome actor tho..oscar nominee and all but so was terrence ...who ever got rid of Terrence is a [frick]tard...
Neo24real - 4/9/2009, 1:29 PM
I bet many people wouldn't have expected the Blade character to be able to carry a series either. And sorry, a War Machine spin-off wouldn't be the same as a Robin spin-off. Why? BECAUSE EVERYBODY HATES ROBIN! I bet everyone would watch a Nightwing movie.

Don't mistake what I said. I didn't say that he should throw his kids in a meat grinder. If I went to a job interview and told the employer that I didn't want to commit 100% to them for any reason then I probably wouldn't get the job. He is already saying that he wouldn't want to do a spin-off.

And to get back to a War Machine spin-off being unsuccessful, there's a reason it wouldn't be-- Don Cheadle does not make a good War Machine! I'm sure many people will disagree about him as an actor but get Michael Jai White. He looks exactly like him and he could draw fans to see a movie. War Machine was a tough badass. Don Cheadle is not someone who I'm afraid of kicking my ass. Who cares how good of an actor Don Cheadle is? This isn't Shakespeare, it's a comic book movie on the big screen!

This sounds like I'm more mad about the whole thing than I am but those of you who think that a spin-off wouldn't be good are correct... WITH Don Cheadle.
MetalHead - 4/9/2009, 1:31 PM
What could you do with 'War Machine'? I thnk he had his own series for a while but it failed. (comic book that is). War Machine was never that interesting. He never particpated in any of the really awesome crossover events.
I think it would be supercool, though, if Roddy/WarMachine and Stark/IronMan both have to wotk together with Gen Thunderbolt Ross to create a 'Hulk-Buster' division...But even the 'hulk busters' are kind boring. (Although it woul dbe super awesome to see hulk smash up Iron Man's best Hulk Buster's. And if that was the story line, it would cease to be an Iron Man movie. It woul dthen be a Hulk movie (Or at least a Hulk vs Iron Man).
And how ridiculously stupid is the character 'whip-lash'? I really hope they dont force mickey rourke to play some azzhole with green hair who's special power is...'a whip'. That is soooo overtly retarded.
Back when I was reading Iron Man comics (and others) I remember Iron Man's foes being : Iron Monger, Titanium Man, Crimson Dynamo, Ghost, and the Mandarin.
Iron Monger/already done, Titanium Man & Crimsin Dynamo (who I hope mickey rourke will be playing, as he is only slightly less dumb than 'whiplash')

Basically, out of all of IM's enemies, 'The Mandarin' is the 'only' one that is actually cool. All of the other IM enemies are retards.

Jojo Risin - 4/9/2009, 1:45 PM
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH METALHEAD DID THEY EVEN TALK TO MICHAEL JAI WHITE...HE FITS THE BILL TO PLAY RHODES...CHEADLE SOUNDS LIKE MARVEL MADE HIM TAKE THE ROLE HE DOESNT EVEN WANT TO DO A SPINOFF....AGAIN...F*CKTARDS!!!
Neo24real - 4/9/2009, 1:45 PM
don's a great actor, better than terrence indeed. minus the voice, i liked terrence in iron man. he's tall, nice looking and he made a great looking soldier. oh, and he's 6'0, taller than cheadle who's only 5'8.
InFamouslyCool - 4/9/2009, 1:53 PM
yeah but blade was never a sidekick blade has so much more story his own origins and back ground so much more to explore then robin, nightwing and warmachine combined.. thats a terrible comparison metalhead

some of you guys must have missed this direct quote by don cheadle in the above article

"I've always wanted to be in a big superhero movie and I'll actually be in some of the action. I like doing as much of that stuff as I can, so you wanna be fit! Let's hope I get the armour on. In the first movie Rhodey did say, "Next time."

that tells me enough, that he is committed and excited and also a fan of comicbooks in general

so maybe you guys focused on the negative which probaly has something to do with your feelings of cheadle personaly.

loganaspatch - 4/9/2009, 1:54 PM
At first I didnt like the change because you want the story to go on with the cast that started it. We fans may never know what really happened. Don is a fine actor and I'm sure he will do a good job.
hewilldefytheirgravity - 4/9/2009, 2:35 PM
honestly as a person of "color" in America i dont care about a war machine spinnoffa anything. War Machine is like Aqua Lad, well maybe not but ya know what i mean. I would rather See a movie based on WarPath, J/K , i would like that but i would rather see any other movie but this would just be a re-hash of the same thing ...... maybe War Machine tv series with the occasional Iron Man appearance would be much better.
shibazz - 4/9/2009, 2:49 PM
Logan, obviously you are missing my point. I wasn't saying that I want a Nightwing movie. My point was that I bet many people were skeptical about Blade being able to make a cool series and that worked out well. The point is that ANY comic book character could make for an awesome movie OR horrible movie depending on how it was done.

So technically it is YOU who is seeing the negative. I am seeing the potentially positive that there COULD be in a War Machine movie if Marvel would stop half-assing stuff and just F'ing do it right from the start. And no one on here can honestly say that they've seen every Marvel movie and not been at least a tiny bit disappointed with every single one in places where Marvel dropped the ball. Granted, the majority are still good movies but it seems like Marvel always gets so close and then doesn't go the last mile. That's how I feel about Don Cheadle. Just cause he's black he's Rhodey? Dennis Hopper is white. Let's make him Superboy.
MetalHead - 4/9/2009, 3:33 PM
I had another idea for a better guy to play War Machine. I don't know if anyone here watched "The Shield" but Brian White played Detective Tavon Garris on and off for a while. He's also in the upcoming movie "Fighting" and "12 Rounds" which is currently in the theaters. He's a badass guy with a believable mean side and he's a good actor on top of it all. Would he be more or less committed? I don't know but if I'm gonna knock their choice I should at least come up with a few better suggestions.
MetalHead - 4/9/2009, 4:07 PM
METALHEAD of course i am missing your point because you are unclear on what you say, after reading your last post im still unsure on where you stand, do you not like cheadle as an actor? do you not like marvel movies? the only CONSTANT thing i picked up on from you is your negative comments about cheadle. go ahead and re-read your previous comments..


i wasnt being negative at all, its plain logic that a warmachine movie with a big budget with the best writers would not be a good idea because of the success of Ironman, no matter what skin color the actor is

and where did i say i wanted a nightwing movie? 0_o you compared blade to nightwing/robin



loganaspatch - 4/9/2009, 4:08 PM
LOGAN @ Whatever man, end of the day, say when we see WAR MACHINE in IRON MAN 2 PPl are gonna want more and WAR MACHINE will deliver!!!! METALHEAD @ i know what your saying mate!!! Also i can't believe WARNERS don't do a NIGHTWING movie!!! Doesn't have to touch Nolans universe! NIGHTWING would be so cool!!! ; )
LEEE777 - 4/9/2009, 4:35 PM
First off Logan, it's not like this is the first place where we've exchanged thoughts before. If you look back on the tons and tons of other posts that we've discussed you'd know some of my opinions and I didn't feel like being one of those people who posts the exact same comment on their opinions of a movie/character every time a new story comes up.

So as for you being unclear I will specify. I love Michael Madsen as an actor. That doesn't mean that I want to see him as Superman. The point is that I don't dislike Don Cheadle as an actor, I just dislike him as a choice for Rhodey. The only characteristic that he has which is the same is the fact that he's black.

And as far as the other part which you don't understand (not sure how you misunderstood but I'll explain), I think that anyone saying that War Machine couldn't make a good spin-off is jumping the gun. ANY character could make for a good movie IF done right, and vise versa. How would it go? I don't know but the point is that since no one has seen it, read a script, or even heard what would happen in it then no one can say for certain that it would be bad.

To answer your question on my stance on Marvel movies: yes, I like them BUT every time I watch them I'm constantly forcing myself to ignore the blatent F-ups that weren't necessary. I just hate how they half-ass so many things. I'm not gonna get into every one but I'm a firm believer in the theory that if you're gonna do something, do it right. Why get CLOSE to doing things perfectly and then stop with the effort once you're close enough? Why not go the final mile to put it over the top?

So that being said, I don't think that Don Cheadle will be awful as War Machine in the "Iron Man" series. I DO think that he himself couldn't carry a spin-off on his own and that being said I think they could've found someone better for the role.
MetalHead - 4/9/2009, 4:36 PM
LEEE777, we always seem to be on the same page.
MetalHead - 4/9/2009, 4:38 PM
Yeah METALHEAD @ What a sweet page we're on!!! : D
LEEE777 - 4/9/2009, 4:57 PM
i thought howard was brilliant he might have been hard to work with fair enough but i thought he was great as rhodes. I'm not gona say anything bad bout cheadle til i actually see him in the movie, but howard seemed to really love the role. Honestly i'm real disapointed he wont be back. Plus scarlett WTF
EvilEd2000 - 4/9/2009, 7:30 PM
i thought howard was brilliant he might have been hard to work with fair enough but i thought he was great as rhodes. I'm not gona say anything bad bout cheadle til i actually see him in the movie, but howard seemed to really love the role. Honestly i'm real disapointed he wont be back. Plus scarlett WTF
EvilEd2000 - 4/9/2009, 7:30 PM
War Machine isn't bad ass enough to have his own movie. Look what happened to his comic. Alien armor bull crap. Pssh. Sounds like Guy Gardner Warrior to me!
Tobuttica - 4/9/2009, 8:22 PM
Ive been watching both actors for a long time, im gonna have to say that yes, Cheadle is a better actor that Howard, but Terrence was jus fine as rhodey, as far as a spin-off, war machine is a supporting character,NOT a lead, If this is true than marvel needs to focus on other characters(like black panther) before considering a war machine movie(it dosnt even sound right saying it.)
zinext - 4/10/2009, 12:55 AM
Guys MARVELS just talking about it im sure they won't do anything till IRONMAN 2 is done an over! Though how cool would it be if they did a cross over movie with IRONMAN 3 and WARMACHINE!!! The same year! ; ) P.s. I will miss Howard, he's a great actor, though for the life of me i can't think of any movie ive seen him in, maybe i havn't seen one of his other movies yet only IRON MAN?? I suppose coz he was a UNKNOWN to me, i enjoyed him in IRON MAN even more!!! An yes i knew who RDJ was lol, but like STAN said, he was born for the part! Funny i remember STAN sayimg that about Tobey Maguire too heh heh! Which he was by the way!!! RDJ was so Awesome, just think if Tom Cruise got the part all them years back! : D ... Oh yeah one more thing, i hope JAMES RHODES 'dons' (heh heh) the IRON MAN armor before he becomes WAR MACHINE! MARVEL better not mess that up! Geez.
LEEE777 - 4/10/2009, 6:10 AM
Here's what makes no sense to me: why are people saying that they don't want a character turned into a movie, no matter who it is? Let's face it, EVERYONE on here would see it. Don't give me that BS that he's a supporting character. So what? You people are making it sound like they'd be giving Micro (from Punisher) a spin-off.

Granted, in the story of Iron Man Rhodey/War Machine is a supporting character. But that doesn't mean that they couldn't make him the main character of his own movie. They could easily come up with a cool story to do so. Just because someone isn't a main character doesn't mean that they couldn't carry their own film. (I don't think that Don Cheadle could carry an entire film but that's not the point for the moment.) Are you telling me that you wouldn't want to see a Human Torch spin-off? Chris Evans played a "supporting character" but if they gave him a spin-off it would be awesome.

**When I say that these movies would be awesome I'm implying that assuming that they are done right.**

And do you want to know why those of you who are saying that War Machine wouldn't be a good spin-off are thinking that way? Because when you think to yourself about Don Cheadle starring in his own film as War Machine it doesn't get you excited about the thought. So what does that mean? That Don Cheadle ISN'T the right guy! If they had a guy who was absolutely perfect to play War Machine then no one would be able to get enough of him, like Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, etc. And you all know this to be true. If they had the guy to get everyone's interest as War Machine people would be craving a spin-off, a sequel to the spin-off, more screen time in the "Iron Man" series, and then people would even be wishing for a TV series (exaggeration to prove a point). And you will laugh at the thought of a War Machine TV series. But why is that? Because you are imagining Don Cheadle or someone who isn't right for the role as War Machine and you all know in the back of your minds that Don Cheadle just doesn't do it for you. He doesn't strike a chord. He is the wrong guy for the role. No offense to him, I'm the wrong guy for the role too.

Not to say that every comic book character should have their own movie (let alone TV series) but the point is that if a guy isn't getting you super-excited for his role then he isn't the right guy. And on the other side of that, the right guy can get you excited for a supporting character who you wouldn't necessarily be excited about. Chris Evans as Johnny Storm is a classic example of this. That guy played Torch awesome and I'd love to see a ton more of him. People are forgetting that this is a business. And if you/we are already thinking that you/we wouldn't want to see a War Machine spin-off then they messed up because it's all about marketability and dollars for them and if you're all already saying that then he hasn't drawn enough interest. He is the wrong guy. Period.
MetalHead - 4/10/2009, 8:34 AM
ok metalhead you and lee777 get to writing on that warmachine spin off because thats the ONLY way its gonna get done :).

and you have tunnel vision on your whole idea of cheadle as warmachine in reasons it wouldnt be successfull. its WARMACHINE that is the problem like i said you can put anyone else in that armor black or white which would also mean you have replaced this warmachine charcter 3 times! and his just a freakin sidekick, dont be so stubborn about it :) its taken you a few posts to acknowledge he is a supporting character .. just didnt want to say sidekick huh? lol


but you have your beliefs it could happen so, good luck with that ;)

and i would go see the torch in his own movie he was never a sidekick he was a member of a group the same as wolverine being in a group and then getting his own movie, so again that was bad comparison on your part again.
loganaspatch - 4/10/2009, 9:48 AM
Metalhead..So..it has nothing to do with the fact that i think War Machine is a 2nd rate Iron Man and wouldnt give a flying [frick] if he was played by a time travelling younger version of Sidney Pottier then?..Dont tell me why i dont think it would make a good movie please, imo Cheadle is a great choice for the role. You think he doesnt look the part..maybe not. But you want the infinitely less talented Michael Jai White to play him because he has bigger muscles? Shiiiiiiiiiiit!. I have no interest in War Machine. And i know a lot of people feel the same way. Why go see a movie about what is essentially a silver Iron Man? I know there is more to the character than that but thats what the general public will see. Id rather they concentrated on adapting other characters that we havnt seen yet or doing justice to characters we have like Deadpool or gambit..yknow, characters people actually want to see!
RorMachine - 4/10/2009, 9:55 AM
Yep if WARMACHINE got made all u fanboys would soooo go and watch it!!! ; ) Lol Logan @ p.s. personally i think they should have DON don the IRONMAN costume first before WARMACHINE coz of TONYS drinking issues, then become WARMACHINE when TONYS better! Man, everyone luvs WARMACHINE he ain't no way 2nd rate lmao! As for HUMAN TORCH EVANS i luv that guy!!! Good one METALHEAD! Damn i wish FOX would do a FF3 or if HUMAN TORCH had a solo movie would be cool or make a deal with SONY and have TORCH in a SPIDEY movie!!! Yeah i know lol! But'll be sweet! ; )
LEEE777 - 4/10/2009, 11:03 AM
ANYWAY GUYS! End of the day we should just be happy all our movies are getting made than waiting for a BATMAN movie every 3 years! Everyone's has their own personal favorites! I for one hope all these movies do well! Im not much of a DRAGONBALL or TREKKIE fan but i wish them movies well!!! As long as all these movies comic book or otherwise do good, we all win!!! An yes we will have the good and the bad, but someones bad is another ones good! Peace.
LEEE777 - 4/10/2009, 11:05 AM
Rorschach,
The flaw with your argument is that you are acting like if they do a War Machine movie that Marvel couldn't still do the other characters like Gambit and/or Deadpool.

And as far as Deadpool goes, you're being a bit arrogant assuming that everyone wants to see Deadpool and that no one wants to see War Machine just because YOU like Deadpool more than War Machine. I don't think you can argue that point. It's a matter of opinion that you feel that one should be done and one shouldn't. And sorry to be the bearer of bad news but Deadpool is also a 2nd-tier character.

You say "why bother seeing a movie about what is essentially a silver Iron Man?" Well it's NOT Iron Man. They could come up with a totally different storyline for him. No different than a character getting their own comic book spin-off.

Another difference here is that you guys are saying that they should make some characters into films and not others. I am saying that they should do all and there's no reason that they couldn't.

The problem here is that you just refuse to consider a different side of things. Try to honestly tell yourself that if ANY character-- War Machine or even Antman-- was casted correctly and done well that it wouldn't draw your interest regardless of your current opinions on the character.

And yes, this is where you and I always differ: YES, I would prefer "an infinitely less-talented Michael Jai White to play him." You always take the side of preferring the better actor. I always take the side of who embodies the character better. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm not looking for Oscar-winning performances in a comic book adaptation. I just want the feel of the comic book correctly translated to the big screen. You want comics turned into theatrical masterpieces and that's where we differ.

And Logan,
I never disagreed that War Machine was a supporting character. Read through the posts before you accuse me of things.

And as far as Torch goes, he is not the equivilent to the Fantastic 4 as Wolverine is to the X-Men, nice try. He is more of the Colosus/Ice Man of the group. And War Machine is the PARTNER of Iron Man, making their relationships to each other equal.

One more point. You guys are both saying that this character wouldn't be successful. What about the fact that there were movies before comic book adaptations came out? These aren't the only successful movies that come out. The point is that there have been plenty of successful movies that have come out without any source material and who were entirely made up for the movie. So why do you think that just because a character who isn't in the upper echelon of Marvel characters is guaranteed to fail? Use "Hancock" for example. An entirely made up character who's film did well. The point is that people will go to see ANY superhero movie, no matter WHO the main character is, IF it is done well.
MetalHead - 4/10/2009, 11:11 AM
Just wanted to point out that I hope no one is taking offense to any of these posts. I am just enjoying going back and forth with those of you who have knowledge of the subject matter and sometimes things may come off as mean-spirited-- from both me and you guys-- but it isn't my intention to be rude or come off like I'm disrespecting you or like I dislike you or your opinions.

It's funny cause there are a few topics right now that I'm really passionate about and have been for years (Terminator, Venom & War Machine in that order) and so I personally get a bit more into the debates then I would if it were a character who I like but isn't one of my all-time favorites. And it's funny because it seems like there are people who feel the same way that I do about those particular characters as well and so the debates are really seeming to come off as personal attacks towards each other so I just wanted to clarify that I don't mean to come off as offensive and I am enjoying these debates with you all.
MetalHead - 4/10/2009, 11:53 AM
Also, what did anyone think of my suggestion of Brian White who played Detective Tavon Garris in "The Shield" for War Machine/ Not that it matters cause it won't happen.
MetalHead - 4/10/2009, 12:00 PM
well it looks like it is time for a poll Metalhead, if anyone can direct me to the place where i can make one please do.. and the poll should read

Which Comic Book Character Movie would you go see

WarMarchine
DeadPool

and yeah no hard feelings here, im enjoying this, your one stubborn person lol

loganaspatch - 4/10/2009, 12:10 PM
Logan,
One problem with your poll-- you'd need 2 more options:
-War Machine
-Deadpool
-Both
-Neither

You guys keep forgetting that there's no reason that both couldn't be made.
MetalHead - 4/10/2009, 12:22 PM
LMAO......you guys crack me up.

On this site, i'd put money that BOTH trumps all!!!

Which i guess, is METALHEAD'S point.
Talontd - 4/10/2009, 1:20 PM
YES!!! Someone finally gets what I'm saying! That IS the point, WHY NOT MAKE BOTH?!?
MetalHead - 4/10/2009, 1:55 PM
BOTH!!!! Heh heh! : D
LEEE777 - 4/10/2009, 1:58 PM
P.s. and VENOM too!!! ; ) as for Tavon Garris from The Shield! Hell yeah he would be the best!
LEEE777 - 4/10/2009, 2:03 PM
I was pissed to see Terrence Howard go, but i'm not gonna judge Don Cheadle til I see him in action (I don't think anybody was a believer in Tobey Maguire til they saw him in action). You people gotta realize though that Marvel movies are a business - and as a business they're gonna do the stories and casting that'll make the most money in the end. If Terrence Howard was lookin to make as much money as RDJ (as is reported) they couldnt pay him that much for a supporting role. It was a business decision (albeit a possible bad one).

But as far as a spinoff - War Machine is not a big enough character to carry a movie - whoever's playing him. Its like if they wanted to make a move with Arsenal/Red Arrow. There's already another character with a more interesting back story and the exact same powers. Move on.
CarlLucasLukeCage - 4/10/2009, 5:09 PM
A quick list of movies i'd rather see than War Machine:

Black Panther (SHIELD tries to raid Wakanda for its Vibranium/Adamantium and BP fights them off)
LukeCage (young thug gets caught in the wrong crowd and goes to jail - agrees to experiments to get out early gets superpowers & goes back to kick the collective ass of his old gang)
Avengers (they all have to band together to figure out how to stop the rampaging Hulk)
Ares (after Thor movie, Ares tries to dethrone Odin but is banished. He then teams up with Loki to start Ragnarok so he can fight Odin one last time)
Gambit (Rogue - who is depowered, falls in love while down in New orleans, then has to figure out what to do when her powers start to resurface, Mystique back as villain).

Then Venom, Dr. Strange, Daredevil Reboot, Hawkeye, Iron Fist, Ronin/Echo, Namor, Sentry, Falcon, Black Bolt/Inhumans, Storm Solo, Iceman solo, Human Torch Solo, Moon Knight, X-23/Wolverine, Squadron Supreme, Thunderbolts, New Mutants/X-Men, Next Avengers/Young Avengers, Vision/Ant-Man, Scarlet Witch/Brotherhood.

if they do ALL those, then they can do a War Machine lol. Whoops, I forgot Wolverine Origins 2 - Alpha Flight. After that they can do War Machine. With Nick Cannon if they want to - he's just as qualified as Don Cheadle. LMAO. Til they do all these other movies then he's a sidekick in Iron Man 3 & Avengers 1&2.

Here's hoping :)
CarlLucasLukeCage - 4/10/2009, 6:00 PM
MetalHead,

I can't but help but disagree with your reasoning regarding why War Machine would be a great spin off movie. The movie would be flat because the story mythology, the mechanics of what defines and gives the Iron Man series its fun and potency would be absent if you just took the War Machine story in isolation.

Iron Man is a great comic book series and film adaptation because of the people surrounding Tony Stark, the stories resonate so readily because we see Tony Stark as the sleek reckless billionaire going about saving the world, his emotional callousness and foolhardy reliance on himself. The reason why War Machine / Rhodes is such a great character is that he is Tony's straight man, he is the guy who really sees Tony behind all that posturing, he is the character whom knows and foresees that Tony will need help in the near future because eventually Tony will make an arrogant mistake. Tony Stark's character is a wild cowboy as opposed to Rohodes, whom is a calm reasoned man, a man whom is largely psychologically together. Now you take that guy out of that environment and he makes for a rather dry and flat protagonist. The character of Rhodes was always written from the perspective of being a secondary player in the Iron Man universe, if you were to write a Rhodes story with any emotional storytelling, some kick ass dramatic tension then you would have to depart heavily from the original conception of Rhodes as a character. And I don't like that idea. Rhodes is an awesome character but only within the context of being by the side of Tony Stark.

The reason why Blade worked as a spin off is because there was enough scope for story development and a willingness to extrapolate an unique character mythology and world. Blade is a character with very specific and unique attributes that allow for the audience to embrace. Within the world of vampires, he is a daywalker (interesting trait one, he is a conflicted and violent character under all that emotional coldness because he has to resist his strongest urge), he is not aligned with the majority of vampires because he feels disgust and rage in the circumstances of his conception and the death/rape of his mother (two a compelling reason for revenge drama) and finally he is a vampire that is a kick ass bad ass (within the blade universe, he is the character that is able to dispatch enemies with mathematical ease and do it in a very cool manner).

At the time the way of shooting an action/comic film in that manner, with its stylised marital arts and over the top bloodletting was a fresh and engaging take on the Gunslinger and Hong Kong gangster martial art films.
There was something inherent about the Blade universe that at the time showed promise of its unique nature. A War Machine Film would not work, because a lot of the main features of the film have already been explored in the first Iron Man film i.e. the suit, the nature of arms and munitions in the US Army and corporations, the right and responsibility of a man being in possession of the single most powerful weapon in the world. So you can't really compare the two.
ObsidianWalker - 4/10/2009, 10:21 PM
Honestly I didn't bother reading that. I VERY briefly skimmed through it. I don't need an explanation of why the "Blade" series worked because I know why and I've seen it a million times. I don't need an explanation of why Tony Stark's character works because I've seen the movie and I've read the comics. I'm not even going to bother debating you because you are completely missing all of my points.

The first is to say that a spin-off wouldn't work while having zero knowledge of the script, the plot, the characters they'd use, etc. To say that without any of that information is absolutely ignorant. Not to mention that you are assuming that the writers would stay with his actual storyline that is used in the comics, which Marvel notoriously does not do and so therefore you can't assume that all of the reasons that you're suggesting that it would fail would even be used in the story.

The second is that (for the billionth time) there is NO REASON that they can't make ALL of the movies everyone is suggesting AS WELL AS a War Machine movie. Oh, wait, did Obama put a restriction on the number of comic book movies that are allowed to come out per year? If I missed that bill then my apologies, I understand why all of a sudden everyone is being picky as to which characters can get a movie and which can't.

And finally, YES, I can compare Blade to War Machine. You are missing the reason for the comparison. It had nothing to do with their character's storylines. The comparison was the fact that both are lesser-known characters and I am willing to bet that at the time prior to its release people's opinions on what Blade's success would be was COMPARABLE to what people's opinions on what War Machine's success would be. It had nothing at all to do with plots, powers, etc.

The problem that you are having when assuming that the movie wouldn't be a success is that you are imagining the movie to go the way that you are imagining it, which is more than likely not how it will end up going.

And before people just assume that a spin-off isn't gonna happen then let me remind you all of a character that they did decide to do a spin-off of who I guarantee that NO ONE would have believed would happen. Now it wasn't a success, but the point is that supporting Marvel characters can get a spin-off regardless of their popularity and stranger things than a War Machine spin-off have happened. One of those stranger things was the fact that Elektra got her own movie. So don't be so quick to say that this wouldn't happen.
MetalHead - 4/11/2009, 12:08 AM
WARMACHINE would be a huge action packed thrill ride start to finish!!!! Who wouldn't wan't to see it!!!! Anyone who says they wouldn't is B S 'ing! For a start WARMACHINE isnt a SIDEKICK and he don't wear red and green pants with a yellow cape! He's just a cool character!!! Anyone that says he's a second rate character, get real, there's loads of second rate characters, like most of the IMAGE Universe for starters and lots of second rate characters from all the comic book companies have some kinda deal going on or another, so that ain't a good point anyway. Plus loads of kids will like WARMACHINE more than IRONMAN for the one simple fact he looks so much cooler! Thats tons of tickets right there! Let alone the rest! End of the day it will be made, just i reackon sometime when everyones seen him in 2, and will come out when IRONMAN 3 is made or even if it isn't will come out a few years after IRONMAN2! Though a crossover with IRONMAN 3 would be Awesome and friggin' amazing!!!
LEEE777 - 4/11/2009, 8:17 AM
LEEE777,
I'm with you again, as usual.
MetalHead - 4/11/2009, 8:50 AM
METALHEAD ; )
LEEE777 - 4/11/2009, 10:45 AM
As far as African/ African American Heroes that I personally would like to see are as follows: (in order -if done right!-)

Spawn - reboot,(not spending so much time on his origin)
Luke Cage/PowerMan (as long as Iron Fist is a supporting character),
Black Panther - (maybe Nick Fury and His Howling Commando's as the antagonists?)
Jojo Risin - 4/15/2009, 10:14 PM
Hiya guys;

I think you guys might be missing a good possibility with the future of war machine.

What if war machine was to continue in future movies not as a spinoff character but as a future villain (IM3 perhaps)? If I remember correctly from the comics there was a story arc where Tony thought James was using the armour inappropriately and told him to give it back. James told him to shove it and the fight was on. Tony has an obvious technical edge having built the armours but the war machine suit is more combat oriented and could be tougher from a purely tactical standpoint. James could possibly have the backing of the american military and Tony could be hampered with alcoholism.

This simple premise could be fleshed out to make an intricate movie with a ton of fantastic armour fighting action...

think about it...

Northman
Northman - 4/17/2009, 4:06 PM
Hey everyone...

In The Incredible Hulk, you can actually see Captain America 'hiding' in the bushes during the cave scene with Hulk and Betty. You see him during the pan to the right after Hulk throws a boulder into the sky. You have to slow it down to about 1/16, and zoom in to 1/8 or 1/16 to see it good.

Then, in the top-right hand corner of that very same sequence, you see a big, black figure falling from the sky after lighting strikes FOUR times in the same spot and creates a 'tube' of light, and Thor lands on the ground. YOU DON'T HAVE TO ZOOM IN OR SLOW DOWN. In fact, it's best you zoom out and go at a regular speed. Just watch the top-right corner when you see lighting strike a bunch of times.

Basically, this means that The Avengers are already assembled during the movie, which means we'll be seeing a couple flashbacks most likely in a couple years. Add that to...

The opening credits where you see briefly a document from Nick Fury and SHIELD stating that the Bruce Banner case is still open, and no one is to make contact with him. Surveillance only. Also, in the commentary just after it starts raining when Hulk protects Betty, the director actually says that Thor saved them. Then at the end, some mysterious helicopter chases Hulk away...hmm.

Now you gotta wonder why no sequel is being schedueled. It did terriffic, everyone loved it...maybe they're not planning one because Hulk 2 IS the beginning of The Avengers! And we all know now that Bruce can control the Hulk.

So now that he can at control his powers, it's time for The Avengers to move in. With...a little help from General Thunderbolt Ross.
Chris McLellan - 4/17/2009, 8:30 PM
^ LMFAO

I think someone was on crack when they said captain America was in the Incridble Hulk. lol Who cares.

I love Captain America. But, if thats all thay had going in for him in that flick...dont really care.

As for War machine Goes.

DON CHEADLE is a good DRAMA ACTOR, and I can not see him as WAR MACHINE. PERIOD. He looks nothing like Rhodes, thats the main problem....Terrance Howard looks like Rhodes. Pissed me off, when they took him off. [frick]ing Fox.
Aiiwolf - 4/18/2009, 3:05 AM
@ METALHEAD. I agree with a comment youw rote up there.

As for a War Machine spin-off with Don Cheadle? Yes, it would fail. But wiht Terrance Howard? It wouldnt.

Ask any girl which one of these dude are better looking....or they'd rather screw? Don cheadle wouldnt be a choice. Personally, hes a good actor, has a nice smile, but hes ugly.

"Terrance Howard PERFECT for War machine. Tall, dark and handsome." Thats coming from the girls that I know that were pissed when I told them they replaced him for Don. Don will do fine in Iron Man 2. But as a for a Spin off? Get the [frick] out off here Cheadle...go make crash 2!
Aiiwolf - 4/18/2009, 3:10 AM

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