In the original Iron Man movie, Terrence Howard acted the part Don Cheadle now fills in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although Howard first vented his annoyance, additional troubling information has now come to light. When Terrence Howard’s character, Rhodey, saw the Mark II suit in the first film, he said, “Next Time, Baby,” which foreshadowed him adopting the name War Machine in the sequel. This dialogue gained, in particular, gained notoriety because of the Irony.
The former MCU actor was once the First Avenger cast member, earning the highest salary. It was much more money than Robert Downey Jr. received at the time. In 2013, Terrence Howard provided further detail on what transpired that prompted Marvel to make the contentious decision during an appearance on Watch what’s happening live.
We struck a three-picture agreement. A specific amount was supposed to be paid for all three movies. The deal was closed in advance.
Terrence Howard was not happy with how Marvel Treated him.
It appears that the studio violated the terms of the agreement. Marvel said that Iron Man 2 would do better “with or without” Howard regarding boxing office performance. As a result, the actor received just “eight” of the total legally agreed upon.
The person I assisted in making Iron Man stole my money and moved me out of the way when it came time to launch the sequel. Then Howard whined that a buddy he had previously assisted hadn’t come to his aid when he most needed it.
Howard said that he willingly accepted a low salary for the original Iron Man role to create a way for Downey, whom Marvel was first hesitant to recruit. According to Howard, the most prominent figure in the MCU franchise failed to assist him when it was his turn to ask for a favor.
Howard was initially offered $3.5 million for the first Iron Man and an additional $5 million if a sequel got made. But Howard agreed to take a $1 million pay cut from his salary if they booked Robert Downey Jr. for the film. Audiences got a better look at what transpired in a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone. He remembered the circumstance as follows:
“I called Robby and was like, ‘Look, man’ Leaving messages with his assistants, called him at least 17 times that day and 21 the next and finally left a message saying, ‘Look, man, I need the help that I gave you’. Never heard from him.”
Terrence Howard lost $100 Million.
The former MCU star noted that Downey Jr. ultimately received the compensation Howard was due, leaving Terrence Howard with a $100 million loss.
“And guess who got the millions I was supposed to get? 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, but, you know, to this day I would do the same thing. It’s just my nature,” Howard added.
