Marvel’s Armor Wars series is being redeveloped as a movie

By Blair Marnell September 30, 2022

In 2020, Armor Wars was one of the big announcements during the Disney Investor Day that set the stage for Marvel’s continued expansion on Disney+. But plans have changed, and the much-anticipated Armor Wars series is no longer going forward. Via The Hollywood Reporter, Armor Wars is now being redeveloped as a feature film.

Don Cheadle remains attached to headline the movie as James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine, a role he has portrayed since Iron Man 2 in 2010. Additionally, Yassir Lester, the head writer for the Armor Wars series, will adapt the project for the big screen. Armor Wars does not have a director at this time, and the shift in development will push it out of its previously planned 2023 production slot. Beyond Cheadle, no other cast members have been announced.

Armor Wars is based on the 1987 Iron Man storyline written by David Michelinie and Bob Layton, which was illustrated by Mark Bright. In that multi-part adventure, Tony Stark discovered that his proprietary Iron Man technology had been stolen and sold to many of the armored villains in the Marvel Universe. Incensed, Stark went on a vendetta to reclaim and neutralize his stolen tech even when it alienated his fellow Avengers and made him an enemy of the United States government.

Don Cheadle as War Machine.

Since Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man was killed off in Avengers: Endgame, it falls to Rhodey to carry on and defend the legacy of his fallen friend. The only logline that Marvel released for Armor Wars was that it explores Tony Stark’s worst nightmare as his technology falls into the wrong hands.

Bringing Armor Wars to the big screen essentially makes it the fourth Iron Man movie with Cheadle in the leading role. In Marvel’s comic book universe, Rhodey was the second Iron Man before he took on the mantle of War Machine as his own. So if Marvel decides to officially make Rhodey the new Iron Man, there is a precedent for that.

For now, Armor Wars doesn’t have a theatrical release date. But since Marvel has released most of its theatrical plans through the first half of 2026, it will likely come out somewhere in that timeframe.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Entertainment

Like The Mandalorian? Then you must read these Star Wars bounty hunter books

Boba Fett in action in cover art for War of the Bounty Hunters.

Longtime fans will surely be hoping that Lucasfilm and the Star Wars franchise will capitalize on the strong reception of Andor as The Mandalorian -- Disney+'s flagship series -- finally makes its return early next month with season 3. The latter series gave a refreshing look at the vast Star Wars universe through the lens of a gritty amalgamation of the sci-fi and Western genres.

Din Djarin and Grogu's one-off and overarching bounty hunter-themed adventures show the creativity Star Wars is capable of, but the franchise has similarly engaging exploits off the screen as well. From comic books to novels, bounty hunters and the crime syndicates of the galaxy make for some worthwhile side stories sure to satisfy invested fans of the space opera. From Legends tales from the likes of Dark Horse Comics to mainline Disney-era canon under Marvel Comics, there are several fitting bounty hunter books to prepare for The Mandalorian season 3.
The Mandalorian (2022-present)

Entertainment

Who is Steven Yeun playing in Marvel’s Thunderbolts movie?

The Walking Dead Season 7 Gallery

Beloved actor Steven Yeun has been confirmed to have a significant role in Marvel Studios' upcoming film Thunderbolts. Yeun's star has soared in Hollywood in the past decade, having shined with his performances in projects like The Walking Dead, Minari, Okja, Sorry to Bother You, and more recently, Nope.

Given Yeun's versatility as an actor, it's anyone's guess as to which character he will portray in this superhero blockbuster. Even so, here are a few characters he could play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Mister Negative

Entertainment

I’m a lifelong Marvel fan. After Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, I’m done with the MCU

Multiple Ant-Mans look confused in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

This past weekend, the 31st (!) Marvel movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, was released to thunderous indifference. While the film grossed over $100 million at the box office, the critical and audience response has been tepid. It's the lowest-ranking Marvel film on Rotten Tomatoes and didn't achieve the "A" Cinemascore that was almost customary with every MCU release prior to the pandemic.

Marvel fans have been here before. Phase Four, which started with Black Widow and ended with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, was a notoriously rocky period when the broken cogs began to show in Marvel's well-oiled machine. Kevin Feige, the grand architect behind Disney's lucrative product line, er, movie division, recognized this and promised that Phase 5, which would start with the third Ant-Man film, would offer a clarity of purpose and, everyone hoped, a restoration of the quality and enthusiasm seen in past Marvel movies. What everyone got instead was an overstuffed CGI fest that was more intent on vaguely teasing future movies and promoting Disney+ content than telling an entertaining story.