Marvel Studios is redeveloping the Armor Wars project, a six-episode series slated for Disney+, as a feature film.
Don Cheadle, reprising his longtime Marvel Cinematic Universe role as Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes, a.k.a War Machine, will still star.
Yassir Lester, brought on as the series’ showrunner, will continue to work on the movie’s screenplay. The film is still looking for a director.
The studio was dedicated to telling the tale properly, and in the course of doing so, it became clear that a feature would be more appropriate for the project, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It is intended for theatrical distribution, like all Marvel films, the news outlet reports.
The Armor Wars series was supposed to begin production in 2023, but due to the change to a feature film, Marvel Studios may have to push it. As of now, Marvel Studios has eight theatrical releases scheduled between 2023 and 2024, with two Avengers films entering theaters in 2025.
The project is based on the seven-issue Iron Man narrative arc in Marvel Comics of the same name and follows Rhodes as he must deal with what occurs when Tony Stark’s technology is misused.
This is Marvel’s second significant change this week. Just two months prior to the start of shooting, Blade director Bassam Tariq announced his departure from the project, potentially delaying the movie’s Nov. 2023 release date.