While Robert Downey Jr. Is now easily one of the most beloved movie stars in the world, prior to taking on the role of Tony Stark in 2008's Iron Man the actor had a very different public image.
![]() ![]()
The man who would be War Machine, Terrence Howard was cast as Tony Stark's sidekick, Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes. Rhodey is an uptight military man, Tony's perpetually disappointed shoulder angel, and at first, Howard seemed perfect for the part.
If things had worked out just a bit differently, he could've starred in films like Avengers: Infinity War, but instead of joining Downey for future Marvel movies, Howard was canned before Iron Man 2 even got going.So what exactly happened? Why did Marvel Studios get rid of such an integral actor from one of their most popular films? Well, from on-set conflicts to nasty financial battles, here are the real reasons why Terrence Howard was fired from Iron Man 2. Howard has long for his irascible attitude. The man has even admitted to ' to work with. Going back decades, to when he was a young actor trying to land small parts, Howard's temper would often sabotage his own career. After getting a small gig on The Cosby Show, Howard freaked out when his scenes were cut, so he angrily confronted Bill Cosby, a move that ruined his relationship with the show's casting director.
A few years later, Howard absolutely refused to deliver a joke as, well, a joke. Instead, he wanted to say the line in a more serious way, despite what anyone else told him to do.According to the, industry insiders have described Howard as a 'hothead' and someone who 'has to be in control of everything, all the time.' (It doesn't help that Howard has a history of.) Of course, Marvel isn't always the most cooperative movie studio, either. They famously from playing Bruce Banner, they parted ways with over 'creative differences,' and big names like, and have all found themselves at odds with the studio. So, when you combine a controlling company with a short-fused star like Howard, the results are going to be far from marvelous. Back in the mid-2000s, Howard was a pretty big deal.
Just three years before Iron Man hit theaters, he gave an Oscar-nominated performance as a pimp-turned-hip hop artist in Hustle & Flow. And a year before that, Howard starred in the Best Picture winner Crash. So when Marvel decided he was right for the part of Rhodey, they offered him a hefty paycheck, reportedly. According to Wall Street Journal reporter Ben Fritz (via ), Downey only earned $2.5 million, making Howard both the and the highest-paid star in the entire movie.At first, it seemed like this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship between Howard and Marvel, especially since they promised him an additional $5 million if Iron Man 2 got greenlit. But even though a sequel was coming down the pipes, Howard would never get to suit up as the War Machine. Of course, there would never be a next time for Howard.
According to, there were reports from the Iron Man set that Howard was making people angry with his infamous 'difficult behavior.' On top of that, it's been said that director Jon Favreau wasn't crazy about Howard's performance as Rhodey, and rumor has it that he spent a lot of time reshooting Howard's scenes before doing a whole lot of cutting in the editing room.So, when it came time for Iron Man 2, the creative team at Marvel wanted to cut way back on Howard's character, and that's when things started getting financial., he had a three-film contract with Marvel, and they were supposed to pay him $8 million for the sequel. But thanks to the behind-the-scenes drama, the studio supposedly offered him a measly $1 million instead, far less than he made for the first film. Some claim Howard had no clue that Marvel was angry about his behavior, and he described the studio's move as '.' Needless to say, Howard had no intention of starring in a blockbuster for chump change, so when the studio lowballed him, Howard's time as Rhodey came to an end. As the actor explained to, 'I met very early on before the first one with Jon Favreau and the team. And I guess there was a split — some people Terrence, some people me.'
Howard backs that story up, telling the radio show Sway in the Morning (via ) 'Really, initially they wanted Don in that role, but my agent pushed me in. So I never had any beef with Don about it.'
It's good to know there's no bad blood between the two War Machines, and the decision to cast Cheadle worked out wonderfully for Avengers fans, as he made the character a little more lighthearted. Of course, Howard might disagree on that, as his opinion about the Iron Man fiasco has radically changed over the years. Two years later, Howard still seemed pretty positive about the whole ordeal, telling the that he wasn't holding any grudges. He said Marvel had a great deal going with Cheadle and Downey, and most importantly, leaving the MCU allowed him to focus on his education and an interesting career opportunity.Howard says losing the role of Rhodes allowed him to return to college and get his doctorate in chemical engineering.
'And now I have a company where we grow diamonds,' he explained. 'That's going to replace the silicon in computers; that's going to replace all the gemstones. So if that hadn't happened, I would never have gone back to school.' Granted, Howard often finds himself involved with bizarre projects — he thinks he's developed diamond-making patents that can defeat, he's invented his own form of math where — but even so, Howard seemed completely cool with Marvel Studios. Of course, time has a way of healing some people, but for others, it only makes the wounds deeper. In the early 2010s, Howard seemed pretty chill with Marvel's decision to replace him with Don Cheadle, but when the controversy was still fresh in 2008, Howard was way more upset. Just a few months after Iron Man was released into theaters, Howard went onto NPR's Weekend Edition (via ) to discuss his grievances with the superhero studio.
'Apparently the contracts that we write and sign aren't worth the paper they're printed on,' Howard said. And when the host asked if there were any differences between pimp and Hollywood power players (referencing Howard's role in Hustle & Flow), an angry Howard responded, 'No. Promises aren't kept, and good-faith negotiations aren't always held up.'
That anger seems to have resurfaced in recent years. In 2013, he told Hollywood.com (via ) that Marvel tried to kill his career with Iron Man. Then, when he appeared on the Bravo series Watch What Happens Live (via ) in September 2018, Howard mused over what his life might've been like if he'd stayed in the MCU. 'You know what's so funny?'
'Even though I love Don Cheadle so much and I love what he's done, I still hear a lot of fans asking, 'Am I going to come back and be War Machine?' 'And Howard knows full well that if he could return as Rhodey, there would be a whole lot of money involved. 'I think Marvel could have a huge franchise off of it,' he said, 'but f.k 'em.' Granted, no matter who's playing the part, there probably isn't much demand for a War Machine series, but it definitely seems Howard is still resenting what went down with Marvel Studios.
In fact, he's been especially angry with one person in particular. At the end of the day, Terrence Howard doesn't ultimately blame Marvel Studios for letting him go. Sure, he might have some resentment toward producer Kevin Feige and director Jon Favreau, but the man he blames most is Tony Stark himself, Robert Downey Jr. On more than one occasion, Howard has claimed that he's the guy responsible for helping RDJ land the part of Iron Man.
According to Howard, Marvel wasn't interested in Downey because of his past struggles with drug addiction, but Howard wanted his buddy to get a second chance. Howard claims that he vouched for Downey and took a $1 million pay cut so Marvel would give Downey the gig. However, when Marvel moved to get a new War Machine, Howard says that Downey let him down. Speaking with in 2015, Howard claimed that he called his friend multiple times a day, looking for help and leaving messages like, 'Look, man, I need the help that I gave you.' But according to Howard, Downey never called him back.
'And guess who got the million I was supposed to get?' Howard asked.
'He got the whole franchise, so I've actually given him $100 million, which ends up being a $100 million loss for me from me trying to look after somebody.' On the flip side, Marvel completely denies that Howard had anything to do with Robert Downey Jr. Getting the role of Tony Stark. Regardless of what really happened, maybe Howard is has finally started to forgive his superhero co-star.
In September 2016, the actor, showing him with his arm around Downey. Both men are smiling in the picture, and the caption reads, 'Nice to see my old friend again.
#lifestooshort #allgood.' All these years later, it seems as if the two have finally reconnected and hopefully their bond will remain like iron, man.
Directed byWriting Credits.(novel)Cast(in credits order) verified as complete.George Mason.'
![]() Comments are closed.
|
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
March 2023
Categories |