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Why Was Terrence Howard Replaced in "Iron Man 2"?

by Matt McDaniel | November 5, 2008

When it was announced that Terrence Howard was out of "Iron Man 2" and that Don Cheadle would be taking over the role of James "Rhodey" Rhodes, the question on most observers' minds was "Why?" The first film was an enormous success, turning a little-known Marvel Comics character into a household name and raking in $318 million domestically. Howard received solid reviews for his work in the film. And the movie itself seemed to indicate that Rhodey would have a bigger part in the sequel when he looked at the silver Mark II suits and said to himself, "Next time, baby."

Terrence Howard himself seemed at a loss as to why he was replaced, telling NPR that getting the news was "the surprise of a lifetime." Initial reports said that negotiations between Howard's representatives and Marvel Studios "fell through over financial differences," but a recent article in Entertainment Weekly suggests it was more complicated than that.

Howard was the first actor signed to the film and, on top of that, was the highest-paid. That's right: more than Gwyneth Paltrow. More than Jeff Bridges. More than Robert Downey Jr. And once the project fully came together, it was too late to renegotiate his deal. Read the full article >>

Director Jon Favreau told Ain't It Cool News before shooting even began that he had cast Howard with the intention of giving Rhodey a bigger role in the sequels, eventually getting his own suit of mechanized armor to become "War Machine." But according to EW's source, "Favreau and his producers were ultimately unhappy with Howard's performance, and spent a lot of time cutting and reshooting his scenes."

Consequently, as Favreau and screenwriter Justin Theroux began the process of structuring the second movie, they reduced the scale of Rhodey's part. With the role pared down, Marvel presented Howard's agents with a much smaller offer than he received for the first movie.

The agents, according to sources, were so taken aback by this new figure - estimated at somewhere between a 50 and 80 percent pay cut - that they questioned it. Why did they blanch? Multiple sources say that Marvel execs never told Howard's reps that they had issues with the star's on-set conduct.

While Marvel refused to comment on why Howard was replaced, they did officially announce last week that not only would Don Cheadle play Rhodes in "Iron Man 2," but also in "The Avengers" movie. Robert Downey Jr. also signed for the sequel and the spin-off that will team Tony Stark up with other heroes like Thor, Captain America and the Hulk. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said in a press release, "It has already become apparent as we prep the movie for production, that the dynamic between Robert and Don will take 'Iron Man 2' to new heights."