What’s Going on With Marvel’s Armor Wars?

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What's Going on With Marvel's Armor Wars?

Key Takeaways

  • Blade has been removed from Marvel’s slate, casting doubt on the status of Armor Wars.
  • Don Cheadle is unsure about the progress of Armor Wars, leading to speculation of its cancellation.
  • The future of Armor Wars in the Marvel Cinematic Universe remains uncertain due to the studio’s focus on quality over quantity.

As a long-time Marvel fan with over two decades of investment in the ever-expanding universe, I can’t help but feel a pang of both anticipation and apprehension regarding the current status of “Armor Wars.” With Don Cheadle, a seasoned War Machine himself, expressing uncertainty about the project’s progress, it’s hard not to worry that this promising venture may be falling by the wayside like so many other projects before it.

After several box office flops, it was reported that Marvel Studios was taking a pause to reassess their upcoming projects. This review also encompassed the previously announced Blade, which is no longer on their release schedule. Nevertheless, fans continue to hope for updates regarding the long-awaited Armor Wars. Initially planned as a Disney+ series, it was rumored that it would be transformed into a film by Marvel Studios. However, it seems this transformation is no longer in progress.

It appears that Don Cheadle, who is scheduled to star in Armor Wars, doesn’t seem to have any recent information about the project. With very little news on the film and Marvel Studios prioritizing a quality-focused slate over quantity, one might wonder if Armor Wars has been covertly scrapped. If this is true, is it necessarily a negative development, or could Armor Wars potentially hold more significance within the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

The Delay and Uncertainity of Armor Wars

What's Going on With Marvel's Armor Wars?

The project known as “Armor Wars” was initially unveiled in December 2020, with intentions of creating a fresh, original series for Disney+, starring Cheadle. Later in August 2021, Marvel Studios appointed Yassir Lester as the head writer for the series. Known for his comedy work, Lester had previously collaborated with Cheadle on the Showtime series “Black Monday.” However, following Lester’s hiring, there seemed to be minimal progress on the project. In September 2022, it was disclosed that the series would instead be developed as a movie due to the story being more suitable for a feature film than a TV show. Lester was set to continue working on the movie script, but no further updates have been made since then. Marvel Studios has not included “Armor Wars” in its future plans, leading some fans to speculate that it might be delayed or simply not part of the studio’s current agenda.

In a chat with TV Line, Cheadle hinted at some uncertainty about the ongoing status of the Armor Wars project. When asked for updates, he cryptically replied, “Feel free to find out and keep me in the loop.” He further implied that the project may undergo changes and that everyone, including himself, would need to wait and see what becomes of it – which could mean that, similar to Blade, Armor Wars might not proceed as planned.

Is an Armor Wars movie vital to the MCU going forward?

Armor Wars was one of the projects announced around the same time as Ironheart and Secret Invasion, the latter of which Cheadle does make an appearance in. Secret Invasion, of course, has come and gone with little to no fanfare. While Ironheart is expected to (finally) debut on Disney+ sometime next year. That leaves Armor Wars as the only project announced nearly four years ago to still be in development. Although fans would love to see Cheadle lead his own movie in Armor Wars, it does seem likely that the project will ultimately be shelved or pushed until it falls more in line with what Marvel Studios wants to do in the future. As it stands, the studio has already had to make quite a number of changes to its line-up, thanks to multiple strikes, having to drop Jonathan Majors, and having handled multiple box office failures. The studio has sought to re-evaluate what it was putting out, wanting instead to work on quality over quantity. This has resulted in fewer Disney+ shows being announced, and a tighter focus on the films in the pipeline. Given the studio’s current focus on magic and the multiverse, it begs the question whether Armor Wars is vital in the current Marvel Cinematic Universe line-up.

Since Don Cheadle has completed his initial contract with Marvel Studios, there’s no legal requirement for the Armor Wars storyline to unfold. However, the actor could still feature in other projects, addressing the Skrull Rhodey narrative introduced in Secret Invasion. Given the uncertainty of how Armor Wars would fit into the current Marvel Cinematic Universe narrative, it appears to be an unnecessary project at this point.

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2024-10-24 19:04