Terrence Howard was one of the first actors cast in the 2008 live-action adaptation of Marvel’s Iron Man, when the MCU was not yet a household brand. The superhero action was a resounding success, not only creating the Marvel Cinematic Universe but also establishing the tone and formula for many subsequent MCU endeavors.
Iron Man made Robert Downey Jr. the international figure he is today. However, the highest-paid actor in Iron Man, Terrence Howard, did not reprise his role as Tony Stark’s pal James Rhodes in the sequel, forcing producers to cast Don Cheadle in the role. The alleged wage cut was the reason for Howard’s termination.
Terrence Howard left the production of Iron Man 2 due to a pay dispute
Numerous individuals were astonished by Terrence’s absence, especially given his unfortunate line “Next time, baby” erroneously anticipated his War Machine costume. The reason for his withdrawal from Iron Man 2 was a pay dispute with the producers.
Following the success of Iron Man, Howard was reportedly asked to work for less than the contractually agreed-upon amount. In addition to the wage dispute, a number of media publications reported that Terrence’s replacement as War Machine was slated to begin work.
Insiders claim that Howard was a difficult actor to deal with and that he had conflicts with the film’s director, Jon Favreau. Unfortunately, none of the parties ever verified these assertions, and the issue of salary reduction persisted throughout.
According to sources, the issue arose when producers proposed a wage cut to Howard because Favreau and screenwriter Justin Theroux were discussing reducing the actor’s participation.
Reportedly, Terrence Howard abandoned the project due to a salary cut ranging from 50 to 80 percent. Unexpectedly, the debate caused a dispute between Howard and Robert Downey Jr., with Howard blaming Downey Jr. for not defending him.
During his appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Terrence addressed the situation.
“It turns out that the person I helped become Iron Man kept the money that was supposed to go to me and pushed me out when it came time to reapply for the second one.”
When Andy Cohen questioned him further, asking if the issue stemmed from his desire for the same compensation as Downey, Terrence Howard elaborated:
“We agreed to a three-picture deal. This suggests that you planned beforehand. There would be a set amount for the first, a set amount for the second, and a set amount for the third. They approached me about the second one and said, “We will pay you one-eighth of what we contractually had for you since we believe the second one will be successful regardless of your involvement.” Then when I called my friend who helped me land my first job, he didn’t return my call for three months.”
When asked jokingly about Terrence Howard’s friendship with RDJ, the Prisoners actor responded:
“Well, I admire him so. God will reward him.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Terrence Howard revealed that he had attempted to contact Downey 17 times without success. Robert Downey Jr. denied involvement in the removal of Howard from the film in 2008 and declined further comment.
Downey’s Tony Stark/Iron Man persona remained the franchise’s primary character until his in-universe demise in Avengers: Endgame, which marked the culmination of the Infinity Saga.
In contrast, Don Cheadle has portrayed War Machine since 2010 and is set to reprise the character in upcoming films such as Secret Invasion and Armor Wars.
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