Don Cheadle is The Man Who Would Be War Machine - also known as James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, also also known as Iron Patriot - and as anyone who has already heard this week's **Empire Podcast will tell you, a very fun interview, and not just because he threatened to vaporise one of Team Empire: he also had some interesting things to say about a potential War Machine movie spin-off.
You can hear what he has to say for yourself by clicking play on the podcast interview below - he kicks off at 1.03.43 and the War Machine movie talk starts at 1.20.09 - but be sure to download the whole thing, because it he really is on very good form.
He has plenty to say on the topic of a potential standalone War Machine film, but for anyone who just loves to read, here's a brief transcription of a few things he mentions:
“When we have talked about the [War Machine] spin-off, what the departure point might be for War Machine… [we've discussed that] it might be when he goes rogue, so to speak, and takes a mission that he believes he is morally responsible for but is against policy and does it anyway. What happens when he’s out there and he’s been dishonourably discharged but he still has the suit, or Tony makes him another suit?”
“And now he’s out there on his own too, but even worse than Tony, because now he’s a fugitive. Because if we wanted to do it, I think the best way to do it would be go darker, to take it and make it even more visceral. Sort of close to the first Iron Man, how it began. Really visceral and really realistic.”
All very sensible stuff, there is no doubt, but with no official confirmation that a War Machine movie is in the works, this is all conjecture. That said, Cheadle is a very charismatic actor, and could easily support his own movie - though you'd need Robert Downey Jr. involved somehow, at least in a small part, and that might detract from the Cheadleyness of it all.
What's important to remember is that Cheadle has signed up for many more Marvel movies - he tells us, in a jokey fashion admittedly, that he's signed over seven contracts - so there is a real possibility here. Perhaps if RDJ isn't willing to sign up with Marvel just one more time, War Machine / Iron Patriot / Don Cheadle could take his place in The Avengers and act as another more reliable member of the otherwise very volatile team.
Would you like to see a War Machine movie? Could you see Don Cheadle taking over Robert Downey Jr.'s position in The Avengers as resident man in a can? Let us know in the comment box below, and remember that Iron Man 3 is out now (and our spoiler special Iron Man 3 podcast will be out on Friday May 3).
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