The bombshell news of Robert Downey, Jr.’s Marvel Cinematic Universe return as Doctor Doom has polarized fans. The same can be said for some of Downey’s fellow Avengers castmates including Jeremy Renner and Gwyneth Paltrow. Now War Machine himself Don Cheadle has weighed in on the shocking news.

Speaking to Collider to promote his upcoming movie Unstoppable at the Toronto International Film Festival, Cheadle was asked about the former Iron Man star making a full-blown supervillain turn as the iconic Marvel Comics baddie:

“I was like, ‘What the f*ck?’ They’re rewriting, they’re reworking, and so I honestly can’t even tease anything.”

Cheadle’s comment about Marvel’s creative “reworking” is likely about the massive overhaul in the MCU’s Phase Five slate. Initially, the next Avengers installment, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, was set to be the big showdown between Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and the thousands of Kang variants teased in the mid-credits of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. However, the third Ant-Man’s underperformance followed by Kang actor Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles and eventual firing resulted in Marvel changing course.

Downey’s casting as Doctor Doom was announced at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con alongside the return of the Russo Bros. The siblings who made Marvel billions with Infinity War and Endgame have been brought back to helm Downey’s next outings in Avengers: Doomsday in 2026 and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. Cheadle remains tight-lipped about returning as Jim “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine in the latter MCU event:

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I’ve heard of a Russo Brother. There are two? You know I can’t talk about that stuff.”

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As for Rhodey’s future in the MCU, questions remain about his next appearance following the underwhelming reception to his surprise twist in Secret Invasion on Disney+. The character was originally set to be the central figure in Armor Wars which was announced in 2020 as a Disney+ mini-series event. Two years later, the project was redeveloped as a theatrical film retaining its showrunner Yassir Lester as screenwriter.

Though Armor Wars current production status remains a mystery, Cheadle was coy about it when speaking to The Today Show:

“What’s Armor Wars? You know the line, I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you. And, I just met you guys, so I don’t want to have to do that.”

What do you think of Downey playing Doctor Doom in the MCU? Do you want to see War Machine in Avengers: Secret Wars and Armor Wars? Let us know in the comments.

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