The first one Iron Man The film starred Terrence Howard in the role now played by Don Cheadle in the MCU. When the overhaul storyline first took place, few details about the details of the event were revealed. Although Howard expressed his frustrations initially, more disconcerting details have come to light in recent years.
Also Read: ‘I’ve Got Four Words for Marvel – Fuck You, Call Robert’: Robert Downey Jr Almost Quit $50M Iron Man Role Over Massive Pay Gap, Stands Up For Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson
The case appeared to have raised several claims against Robert Downey Jr., the ever-accomplished MCU star. While Downey Jr. denied the statements that were made against him, Howard didn’t quite let go of his grudges until much later when he decided to call it quits on the feud and allowed himself to let the past pass.
Terrence Howard’s Frustrations With Iron Man’s Redesign
In the first movie, we saw a sequence where Terrence Howard, as Rhodey, looks at the Mark II suit and says, “Next Time, Baby”, which foreshadowed him by taking the War Machine moniker in the next film. Unfortunately, this line became infamous because it never came to fruition. Not for Howard, at least. With Don Cheadle replacing the Empire star for the leading role, there was no “the next time.”
The redesign had puzzled a few people when it took place. While some questioned the reasons behind such a seemingly drastic move, the former MCU alum aired his frustrations while speaking to National Public Radio about the situation. As one could guess, the actor was shocked. He had this to say:
“…The contracts we write and sign aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on, sometimes. Promises are not kept and negotiations in good faith are not always blocked… [The contract] just – and disappeared.
Therefore, as claimed by Prisoners actor, some promises made to him ended up being broken. More declarations would soon follow in the years to come. While several media insiders claimed that the main reason for Marvel Studios’ change in attitude was caused by the tough demeanor Howard seemed to possess, more details would reveal an entirely different story.
How Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. came into the picture
In 2013, during an appearance on Watch what’s happening live, Terrence Howard gave a deeper insight into what happened that led Marvel to take the controversial step. Initially, the former MCU actor was the highest paid of everyone involved in the first Iron Man. It was far more than Robert Downey Jr. received at the time.
According to Howard, Marvel had agreed to a three-picture deal. This agreement was made well in advance. The Bustle and flow star described it this way:
“We made a three-picture deal. So that means you closed the deal in advance. It was going to be a certain amount for the first, a certain amount for the second, a certain amount for the third.
Apparently, the studio had gone against what was stated in the contract. When it came to iron man 2Marvel alleged that the second film would do better “with or without” Howard. Therefore, contrary to what was promised, the actor was offered only “one eight” of the contractually agreed total amount.
Also read: ‘It was almost like a robbery’: Paul Bettany reveals that working on Iron Man was too easy, I was paid dearly for only 2 hours of work
Howard then remarked that a friend he had helped before, hadn’t come to his rescue when he needed it most. Here’s the hint he made that clearly put the blame on Robert Downey Jr., his former co-star:
“Turns out the person I helped become Iron Man, when it was time to relaunch for the second one, took the money that was supposed to be mine and pushed me out…I called my friend, whom I helped get the first job, and he didn’t call me back for three months.
It is believed that during the first Iron Man, Howard willingly settled for a meager payment just to make room for Downey – who Marvel was initially reluctant to hire. This is the help that was offered by the Empire star. When it was his turn to ask for a favor, the biggest name in the MCU franchise, as Howard claims, didn’t come to his aid.
The case was far from over.
Terrence Howard claimed he was constantly asking for help
In a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, audiences got a closer look at what happened. A big, bold statement was made by Terrence Howard that had serious implications. He first started the story by saying that he called “Roby” repeatedly during negotiations. Here is how he recalled the situation:
“I called Robby and said, ‘Look, man…’ Leaving messages for his assistants, I called him at least 17 times that day and 21 the next day and finally left a message saying, ‘Listen man, I need the help I gave you.
He went on to say that despite his many efforts, the sherlock holmes alum did not respond to him. The former MCU talent pointed out that it was Downey Jr. who then got the money Howard was supposed to get.
Read also: ‘They are so pissed off. I can’t believe it’: Robert Downey Jr. hinted he quit Iron Man role because Marvel was furious he made an astronomical salary
He claimed:
“…Guess who got the millions I was supposed to get? He’s got the whole franchise, so I actually gave him $100 million, which ends up being a $100 million loss to me because I’m trying to take care of somebody, but, you know , to this day, I would do the same. It’s just my nature.
While this interview received a bizarre reception, things apparently calmed down in 2017 when both parties involved buried the hatchet. Speaking to Andy Cohen, Howard explained the transitory nature of life. “We both realized that life is too short” say it Prisoners alum.
The actor also admitted his mistake and it can be seen that the two have since moved on – having other important things in life to worry about. While Terrence Howard couldn’t earn his “the next time” as a war machine in iron man 2 and the other films that followed, Don Cheadle is gearing up for his long-awaited MCU solo movie that will soon see fruition.
Armor Wars will go into production sometime in 2023.
Source: Rolling Stone
