I've always enjoyed Don Cheadle's work ever since seeing him for the first time as Denzel Washington's psychopathic friend in Devil in a Blue Dress back in 1995.

There was a memorable role as Buck Swope in Boogie Nights (1997), followed by career-making turns in Traffic (2000), Ocean's Eleven (2002) and Hotel Rwanda (2004) in which he was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar.

Can't say I've ever pictured him playing a superhero though.




But, if the reports out of Hollywood are correct, the 44-year-old is going to get his chance - as War Machine in the next Ironman movie, opposite Robert Downey Jnr.

The Hollywood Reporter says he will be replacing Terrence Howard (who was in the first film) as Tony Stark/Ironman's military mate Jim Rhodes who will don the silver armour in the sequel.

The word is Howard has dropped out of the project due to a financial dispute with Marvel Studios, who then approached Cheadle.

I liked Howard in the role, but Cheadle might be an improvement as I can see him really gelling with Downey Jnr.




With the original's director, Jon Favreau, back on board, the movie is expected to begin shooting early next year before being released in 2010.

Though if money was such a concern for Marvel maybe they should've asked Downey to play both Stark and Rhodes, after his effort in Tropic Thunder.

Ironman has made a massive $318,313,199 at the US box office to sit behind The Dark Knight ($526,831,522) and marginally ahead of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ($317,017,651) as the top earners of 2008.