Avengers: Endgame’s Don Cheadle Explains Why Rhodes Was So Good At Piloting War Machine

Avengers: Endgame’s Don Cheadle Explains Why Rhodes Was So Good At Piloting War Machine

Avengers: Endgame has been in theaters for three weekends, but the blockbuster is still on everyone's lips. The Russo Brothers crammed a ton of exciting twist and characters into the massive blockbuster, essentially ending the narrative that began with Iron Man. Given the state of the MCU and it's unknown future, there's been some reflection on the past 22 movies and decade of filmmaking.

James Rhodes is a character that debuted back in Iron Man, although he was originally played by Terrence Howard. Don Cheadle ended up taking on the role starting with Iron Man 2, which saw Rhodey become the superheroic War Machine. One Twitter user recently asked Cheadle why his character picked up piloting armor so much easier than Tony Stark, and he said:

Tony Stark may have been the first Marvel hero to armor up and save the day, but that doesn't mean it necessarily came easy to him. Iron Man showed RDJ struggle with the suit's abilities, especially when it came to flying. Meanwhile, Rhodey jumped in with relative ease.

Don Cheadle's Tweet shows how methodically the 54 year-old actor has thought out his long tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While fans seem eager to find plot holes or potential goofs in the shared universe, Cheadle knows exactly why his signature Avenger was able to adjust to wearing Tony's suit so quickly. It all has to do with his piloting background, and Tony's programming in making each suit intuitive to its user.

War Machine is one of the first heroes to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and has remained relevant presence in the MCU since taking on the mantle. In addition to his appearances in Iron Man 3 and Avengers: Age of Ultron, Rhodey had a particularly very strong outing in Phase Three.

He was an influential voice in the drafting of the Sakovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War, taking Tony Stark's side and urging the other Avengers to follow suit. He eventually participated in the tarmac battle, and sustained a major injury in the process. He now bares the physical scars from that scuffle, in addition to feelings of guilt.

War Machine provided both comedy and action in Avengers: Infinity War, helping to defend Wakanda from Thanos' forces in the film's third act. While unable to stop the Mad Titan himself, Rhodey got lucky and managed to survive Thanos' finger snap of death. He's go a meaty role in Endgame as a result, as the spotlight focuses on the survivors and their shared grief.

Related: What Marvel’s War Machine Movie Would Have Been About, According To Don Cheadle

It should be interesting to see what comes next for War Machine. The future of the MCU is largely a mystery-- at least until Spider-Man: Far From Home arrives and completes Phase Three. But considering which characters perished in Endgame, it might be a time for Rhodey to have an even bigger presence in the shared universe.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Samuel L. Jackson Reveals Why Nick Fury Hasn't Brought Up Captain Marvel Before

Samuel L. Jackson Reveals Why Nick Fury Hasn't Brought Up Captain Marvel Before

While all hope seemed lost following the end of Avengers: Infinity War, the post-credits scene gave us all hope when Nick Fury was able to get a message off to Captain Marvel. While this made fans very excited for the upcoming, and now soon to release Captain Marvel movie, it did raise one question. "You're calling her NOW?" It seemed like there had been some times in the past that a hero like Carol Danvers would have been useful, but Samuel L. Jackson says all those other problems the Earth has seen were no big deal compared to this one. According to Jackson...

She said only in emergencies. Other emergencies could be handled by the people who were present. It’s just an alien invasion, that’s something that could be handled. Half the population wasn’t dying and flicking off and doing whatever. We finally have an emergency that I feel warrants her presence. This is unprecedented. How are you gonna fight that? I can’t fight that. If I’m not here, I need to find someone to come here who can handle it. All those people are ineffective. They’re great for normal, everyday world disaster. But intergalactic badass who has all the Infinity Stones needs a bit more.

Clearly, Nick Fury has a very specific definition of "emergency" and even alien invasions and A.I. gone mad doesn't actually qualify. It certainly makes some sense. Fury's plan to create "The Avenger Initiative" comes at a point after the events of Captain Marvel so clearly, Fury isn't looking to call in his new friend at the first sign of something normal humans can't handle. He's planning on using others for those problems.

At the end of Avengers: Infinity War, it doesn't seem that Nick Fury is really clear on exactly what is going on, but he knows that Earth's Mightiest Heroes are dealing with it, and when people start to turn to dust, he knows they've failed. At that point, the only option left is to grab your pager.

Samuel L. Jackson's opinion on why he never called Danvers before isn't the only one that makes sense. Director Anna Boden tells IGN that Fury likely didn't want to reveal her existence to the world unless it was necessary. Her co-director Ryan Fleck says Fury was probably considering pushing the panic button ion the first Avengers, but eventually decided against it.

By the time things escalate to the actual alien invasion, if the Avengers can't do the job, it's probably not going to matter too much.

On the plus side, Fury was right, and the Avengers were able to handle all threats prior to Infinity War. If the Earth had been invaded by aliens, Fury probably would have really wished he'd used that pager.

Expect said pager to play a small role in Captain Marvel, as we'll probably learn where it came from. Assuming it works, we'll see the results of pressing that button when Avengers: Endgame comes out in a couple months.

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Wait, Did Vin Diesel Join The Avatar Sequels?

Wait, Did Vin Diesel Join The Avatar Sequels?

Right now, under the strictest measures of security, writer/director James Cameron is making the sequels to his record breaking opus Avatar, in anticipation of the releasing the first follow up at the end of next year. And while taking a break from the rigors of that gargantuan task, Cameron decided to record a short video on set with a new friend, Fast and Furious lead and celebrity uber-nerd Vin Diesel. But, wait a second, could this mean that Diesel has joined the ranks of the cast for this big ticket event franchise?

This prospect seems to be pretty likely from where we’re standing, as this feels like one of the only reasons that the stereotypically cryptic James Cameron would even let Vin Diesel glimpse at what he considers top secret materials of a sensitive nature. Sure, there’s a possibility that Diesel and Cameron are mutual fans of each others’ work and just wanted to hang out, but this doesn’t seem like the kind of place to do that unless some sort of Avatar business was involved.

In addition to that speculation, and between the lighthearted joking and friendly patter shown on display between the two titans, there were some choice remarks made by Vin Diesel that have us questioning if some sort of big announcement is coming our way in the future.

Specifically, Diesel said the following, which set off alarm bells in our heads:

It’s long overdue. There is one person in Hollywood I’ve always wanted to work with, and learn from. … All things come, I guess, to those who wait.

Cue some shenanigans with funny voices and references to Kung Fu, and you’ve got a perfect recipe for a cute viral video that could lead to a lot more if the implications are correct. But there’s another interesting point to make, as this Instagram post’s contents snuck in one more potential bit of news.

Right at the beginning of the video, James Cameron announced that he and Vin Diesel were on the set of “Avatars 2, 3, 4, & 5,” which is interesting considering those last two sequels don't have an official green light just yet. While this doesn’t particularly mean anything, seeing as how Cameron is probably more than optimistic he’ll get those last two films off the ground, it wouldn’t be surprising if that was another featured bit of news coming down the pike in the near future.

With the Disney/Fox merger now complete, and the Aliens filmmaker more than entrenched with both halves of that corporate cookie, this new alliance could be the moment everyone was waiting for before pulling the trigger on Jake Sully’s continuing adventures. And with new sequels come new cast members to help flesh out the 5 film story James Cameron has planned.

You can parse out the action for yourself, as we’re providing the entire video for your viewing pleasure below:

Now we must remind you dear Avatar fans that this isn’t an official announcement of any sort of partnership or deal for Vin Diesel to join on for Avatar 2-5, or that the entries 4 and 5 are confirmed to be officially in the works. Hell, we can’t even tell you if the titles that supposedly leaked are legit or not. All we can say is that Diesel has been spotted on the set with James Cameron, and it really sounds like the two are thick as thieves, plotting an otherworldly adventure that could change the movie world again.

What we can tell also you, among other things, is that Avatar 2 is scheduled for release on December 18, 2020; and that you can visit the attraction Pandora – The World of Avatar at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. Which will probably be super easy to access once that other big Disney Parks attraction opens at various periods this year.

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The Russo Brothers Confirm Loki’s Fate In Avengers: Endgame

The Russo Brothers Confirm Loki’s Fate In Avengers: Endgame

Massive spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame

It's been nearly three weeks since Avengers: Endgame arrived in theaters, and there are still a ton of questions floating above the fandom. The Russo Brothers did the impossible with their massive blockbuster, meeting every expectation that fans had, and providing countless plot twists. One of which involved the God of Mischief himself, Loki.

Tom Hiddleston's Loki was killed by Thanos in the opening sequence in Avengers: Infinity War, seemingly ending the character's story forever. But Hiddleston is attached to a Loki series for Disney+, and the macguffin for that possibility was provided during Endgame's time heist. The sequence saw 2012 Loki escape with the Space Stone, an outcome that should have a massive impact on that universe. Now The Russo Brothers have confirmed this created a new timeline, with Joe Russo recently saying:

Loki, when he teleports away with the Time Stone, would create his own timeline. It gets very complicated, but it would be impossible for [Cap] to rectify the timeline unless he found Loki. The minute that Loki does something as dramatic as take the Space Stone, he creates a branched reality.

Cue the Loki Disney + series. Loki's fate was one of the unclear aspects of Endgame's conclusion, although now that the Russo Brothers have lifted the spoiler ban, they can be more chatty an expansive about the film's contents.

Avengers: Endgame's time heist was super ambitious, and brought the surviving heroes back to various points across the MCU's long history. The biggest group traveled to the Battle of New York from The Avengers, and split up to acquire three Infinity Stones. Everything was going according to plan, until Hulk smashed into an incognito Tony Stark, sending the Space Stone flying.

Related: Marvel Updated Loki's Official Bio And Now We Have To Rethink Everything

True to character, Loki seized this opportunity, and vanished. It's unclear where he might have traveled to, and Tim Hiddleston's character wasn't mentioned at any point during the film's third act. But now The Russo Brothers have confirmed that he's got a new timeline in the works. In the same conversation with Business Insider, Anthony Russo echoed his brother's statement, saying:

We’re dealing with this idea of multiverses and branched realities. So there are many realities.

The multiverse is a complicated concept to bring into the MCU, but the massive franchise has earned it at this point. And it's going to factor heavily into Spider-Man: Far From Home, which is the final installment in Phase Three. The newest trailer revealed that Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio was from another dimension, with the snap causing a tear in the multiverse. So it'll be fascinating to see how this type of storytelling moves the property forward, and if those tears become a recurring event in Phase Four.

It's currently unclear when Loki's Disney+ series will become available, as the future of the MCU is largely a mystery. But you can watch the God of Mischief's latest appearance on the big screen with Avengers: Endgame-- in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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What's The Deal With Peggy Carter In Avengers: Endgame?

What's The Deal With Peggy Carter In Avengers: Endgame?

Avengers: Endgame has been said to be a culmination of the MCU thus far, particularly for Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man and Chris Evans’ Captain America, and because of this fans are likely expecting to gain some closure for the heroes. (Especially if and as they exit the franchise and hand off Avengers leadership to Captain Marvel). The most recent trailer for the highly-anticipated MCU Phase Three flick highlights these heroes, even giving us nostalgic black-and-white flashbacks to their pasts. Which, yes, even means Peggy Carter was brought into the fold.

The attention to Tony Stark in the Avengers: Endgame trailer was unsurprising since we knew from previous footage he will be sending a heartfelt message to Pepper Potts as his oxygen runs low in space. In the latest look, when it came to the segment devoted to Steve Rogers, his tragic love story with the late Peggy Carter was the focus, even featuring a voiceover from her from Captain America: Winter Soldier saying these words as a flashback of Cap holding up her casket was shown onscreen. Here's the quote in question:

The world hasn’t changed. None of us can go back. All we can do is our best and sometimes the best we can do is to start over.

Peggy told Steve this in another time of uncertainty, but it may resonate with the hero more than ever. Following the events of Infinity War, he is certainly dealing with a longing to go back and save the half of the universe turned to dust thanks to Thanos’ snap. Peggy’s voice is telling Steve he can’t go back, that it’s time to start over. This time around it reads as less of a longing for the past as it does foreshadowing for the future.

In the first trailer for Endgame, the picture of Peggy that Steve Rogers had when he crashed the Hydra bomber back in the ‘40s is shown in a moment in the upcoming film when Cap looks back at it and Black Widow stands beside him, right before the pair discuss their "plan," a plan they hope will work. Why does Peggy have such a prominent focus in setup for Endgame? Will we see her again as Captain America’s story wraps up or is Marvel tugging our heartstrings without the payoff these characters deserve?

Peggy Carter was introduced in 2011’s First Avenger as Steve Rogers’ love interest, but had to leave her behind when he was chilling in some ice for 70 years. In Winter Soldier, Cap gets to visit her in her elder years, when she says those recently referenced lines, again in Age of Ultron when Cap sees an illusion of her and referenced in Civil War when she passes. Peggy is also featured in the opening scene of Ant-Man and on ABC’s Marvel television series Agent Carter and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

She is really important to Cap’s character arc. Peggy symbolizes the life he could have had and lost because of taking up the mantle of Captain America. He’s never quite felt like he could really move forward because the life he wanted was taken from him, which also plays into his story arc with Bucky Barnes. He’s been displaced by time but what if he could go back? The popular theory for Avengers: Endgame is that the Avengers will travel back in time and reverse what’s been done by Thanos, so if that’s possible, a reunion with Peggy would also be.

With Cap always going back to Peggy in his mind, she really is the last loose end for the character to move on and wrap up his eight-year storyline. Since the teasers for the film are taking the time to touch on their tragic story, one would think we haven’t seen the last of Peggy or that she will fact in somehow during Endgame. There are a few ways this could go down.

Time travel through the Quantum Realm is certainly on the table here and depending where the Avengers land, Peggy could be alive in the timeline. A reunion with Peggy back in the ‘40s could also be a favor Ant-Man drums up for Cap after they save the universe. Guys. Just imagine if Steve Rogers’ story ended with him getting to keep that date with Peggy. I would never get over it. The hero certainly deserves a happy ending or a brief moment like this if he’s going to go out, given all he’s been through in the MCU.

Maybe Cap stays in the ‘40s or another point in the past. Then again we’ve all seen Back to the Future and changing things in the past can completely change the future and there would be consequences there. In fact, Peggy Carter is pretty important to the formation of S.H.I.E.L.D., which likely wouldn't be possible if she becomes a '40s era housewife. Plus, considering many have theorized Captain America will die in Avengers: Endgame, maybe self-sacrifice will be the character’s ticket to his love and he’ll have a sequence with her in the Soulworld, as Thanos had with young Gamora at the end of Infinity War.

If Hayley Atwell is in fact returning to the MCU for Endgame, she’s great at playing coy about it -- unlike some other MCU spoiler personalities out there. There has been zero word about her joining the cast on set. Still, almost a year ago she said “I wouldn’t rule it out” when asked if she might return to the franchise. Her comments hint at the possibility, but I’d hate to sound too hopeful when it may not happen. The past could stay in the past as far as Peggy goes. And the nods to Peggy could always be part of that extra footage The Russo Brothers have admitted adding to the trailers.

Marvel could be implementing Cap’s lost love in the set up for Endgame to just get us nostalgic for Cap’s emotional story arc. Peggy could simply be symbolism for all that Cap has lost or to remember the mantra she’s told him. While it’s tempting to manipulate time travel for his personal happiness, that may not really be in Cap’s wheelhouse. He’s pretty idealistic in his decision-making and I doubt he want be a staunch advocator of disrupting the time continuum and such.

There are tons of possibilities for the end of Captain America’s time in the MCU, but we hope it includes Peggy Carter. What do you think? Will she pop up in Avengers: Endgame and how do you think it will happen? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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New Men In Black International Clip Pokes Fun At Game Of Thrones’ Coffee Cup Debacle

New Men In Black International Clip Pokes Fun At Game Of Thrones’ Coffee Cup Debacle

The summer season, so far, has been all about the Avengers, but there are plenty more franchise looking to make a splash as the temperatures rise outside. Spider-Man will swing through his own sequel. The Toys are back in town for Toy Story 4, and Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) will absorb the power of the Phoenix in Simon Kinberg’s Dark Phoenix.

And then there are the Men In Black, who will add a fresh-faced new female recruit to their ranks when Tessa Thompson teams with Chris Hemsworth for Men In Black International. The promotional campaign is stepping up, as of late, including this clever and very timely use of the neuralyzer, which Game of Thrones fans probably want to use on its millions of viewers:

And no, this isn’t a dig at Dany laying waste to King’s Landing with her one remaining dragon (though seriously, a lot of Game of Thrones fans likely want their own neuralyzer to block out the bulk of season eight). This is a clever dig laid by Men In Black International about the coffee cup left on the Thrones set during a post-battle celebration. Happier times! Remember those?

With the help of a trusty neuralyzer, all one has to do is stare into the light, and the memory that you want gone is wiped. It was a funny bit every time Will Smith of Tommy Lee Jones did it in the original Men In Black films. We can’t wait to see how Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson use it in the new film.

When CinemaBlend visited the set of Men In Black International, we learned that the neuralyzer actually will play a bigger role in the story of this new team, with Chris Hemsworth’s character – Agent H – potentially suffering from a memory wipe after an early confrontation. Beyond that tease, details were kept under wraps, but we’ll know the full story once the movie comes out.

F. Gary Gray directs Men In Black International, recruiting Tessa Thompson out of the bureau’s New York office and then sending her to London where she’ll team with Chris Hemsworth and Liam Neeson on a globe-trotting adventure. The movie opens everywhere on June 14. For more from our visit to the London set of the movie, click here.

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Chris Evans Recalls His Big Concern With Playing Captain America

Chris Evans Recalls His Big Concern With Playing Captain America

Captain America can seem like vanilla ice cream -- a classic American favorite, but there's no real kick to it. It's sweet, but kinda bland. That was a concern for Chris Evans while considering the Marvel Studios role. He passed on it multiple times, and one of his question marks was how to make this square-jawed goody two-shoes interesting to a modern audience used to being wowed by jokesters and antiheroes?

There's no real darkness to him. How do I make this guy someone you want to watch? I don't get jokes. I'm not Wolverine. I don't have dead parents, like Batman. I'm just, like, 'Hi, I'll walk your dog. I'll help you move.'

Turns out, that was just fine -- at least with Chris Evans in the role and the right team in place to give him better material than dog walking. Not that I wouldn't watch his Cap walking dogs. In fact, where is that film?

Chris Evans told The Hollywood Reporter he hadn't read Captain America's Marvel Comics story before he was cast, and if he had he might've been even more hesitant to accept the role. Evans recently pointed to a scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as his favorite; that was directed by the Russo Brothers as their first MCU film -- followed by Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and April's Avengers: Endgame. Anthony Russo said he and Joe Russo weren't really drawn to the old school Cap stuff either:

To be honest with you, that golden age Captain America never really appealed to us. We gravitated to the comics where people were starting to tear down ideas about what superheroes were. Frank Miller, et cetera. So when we started talking with Marvel about coming on to do [Winter Soldier], we were like, 'This is going to be the movie where we fully bring Captain America into the modern world. He's going to be a different person in this new world.' And Chris just grew with that character beautifully.

Chris Evans' Captain America became a three-dimensional hero -- a very human moral compass with personality and heart. Still a good guy, but not a dull guy.

Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige told THR Chris Evans wasn't on their initial list of Captain America prospects when they started looking for The First Avenger hero in early 2010, because Evans had just played Marvel's Human Torch/Johnny Storm in two Fantastic Four films.

We thought, OK, well, he's that character. Let's keep looking. And as we [continued] not finding people, we went back to the initial lists. And that brought us back to Chris. And I thought, well, Patrick Stewart played Jean-Luc Picard and Charles Xavier. Harrison Ford played Han Solo and Indiana Jones. Who cares?

Fair points. But Chris Evans said it felt like the right thing to do to say no to that job. So he turned down Marvel's nine-film offer. He also turned down a six-film contract. Tony Stark himself, Robert Downey Jr., got involved to call Evans. After a lot of other consultations, Evans finally took the job as Captain America. And then he went to therapy for the first time in his adult life.

The fans are the ones who may need therapy after Avengers: Endgame, if Chris Evans does indeed hang up Cap's shield. He joked to THR that Endgame is over three hours and "my funeral's like an hour." He did, however, say he choked up three times.

We now have less than a month to see what really happens in Avengers: Endgame. The film opens in theaters Friday, April 26. Here's what we know so far about the highly anticipated MCU movie.

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