Happy Birthday, Don Cheadle! The actor known for movies and shows such as Ocean’s 11, House of Lies, Hotel Rwanda, Black Monday, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe turned 56 on November 29th. Cheadle first appeared in the MCU as James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes/War Machine in Iron Man 2 and has gone on to appear in six more of the franchise’s movies. In fact, it’s clear he’s made some pals along the way because he’s getting some love from his fellow Avengers on social media today. Mark Ruffalo, who plays the Hulk/Bruce Banner in the MCU, posted an adorable tweet in honor of Cheadle today.
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“Get someone who looks at you like how @DonCheadle looks at Ant-Man. Happy birthday, brother,” Ruffalo wrote. “😂thanks, papa … ✌🏿♥️✊🏿,” Cheadle replied, You can check out the posts below:
😂🤣 thanks, papa … ✌🏿♥️✊🏿 https://t.co/FsoUVjfzrG
— Don “bruh, you lost” Cheadle (@DonCheadle) November 29, 2020
Currently, it’s unclear if Cheadle will be returning to the MCU post-Avengers: Endgame. At the beginning of the year, the actor teased what he’d like to see happen to his character while appearing at the TCA winter press tour. Cheadle was asked about an MCU return, and he made a surprising reference to the first Iron Man, which he wasn’t actually a part of.
“If there were to be one, I’d really want to dig into him and maybe even find something that felt closer to the first Iron Man for who he was,” Cheadle explained. “I think they can go anywhere with him now.”
Cheadle was cast as Rhodey in Iron Man 2 after pay disputes arose with the original actor, Terrence Howard. As for whether Cheadle is in line for his own series on Disney+’s slate of Marvel shows, he wouldn’t say. “I really don’t know,” Cheadle shared. “I haven’t given it much thought as far as which would be or if either would even be. That was an 11-year journey.”
As for Cheadle’s pal Ruffalo, the actor is in a similar situation. For now, he is only officially signed on for Disney+’s upcoming animated series, What If… However, that does not mean he wants to stop being the Hulk, who he first played back in 2012’s The Avengers. In fact, he previously hinted that there is a chance he’ll show up in Disney+’s She-Hulk series. He even welcomed Tatiana Maslany, who was supposedly cast in the titular role, to the family. (However, Maslany recently denied the reports.)
Avengers: Endgame and more are currently streaming on Disney+.
