The MCU’s Iron Man void will be filled by Marvel’s Armor Wars show, says Disney’s CEO

Walt Disney CEO Bob Chapek claims that the new Disney+ series Armor Wars will fill the hole left by Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The in-development show is based on same Marvel Comics story, in which Iron Man and War Machine fought side-by-side to recover Stark Tech technology that had been misused. Though it’s unclear how the film will adapt Bob Layton and David Michelinie’s legendary comic, Don Cheadle’s participation as James Rhodes, aka War Machine, is certain.

After a slew of projects were revealed for the streaming platform in 2018, it wasn’t until Disney Investor Day 2020 that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige disclosed Armor Wars was in the works.

Iron Man 2 took parts from the comic for its plotline, including the concept of Tony Stark’s Iron Man technology being copied in the wrong hands, so this isn’t the first time the MCU has used material from the comic. The series’ details are still limited, including a formal confirmation of production after Cheadle stated in February that filming will begin in a few months.

Spectrum News reporter Ashley Carter took to Twitter while covering a virtual conference with Chapek at the lead to explain how a fan requested the CEO to bring back Downey Jr.’s character to the franchise. Instead of dismissing the idea, Chapek teased Armor Wars and how it will satisfy fans’ desire to see the character return. Here’s what Chapek had to say:

Whether Rhodes has to confront the bad guys alone or with another hero, there’s no doubting that knowing that Armor Wars would satiate fans’ thirst for more Iron Man is comforting. It was previously announced that Stark’s death will play a role in the series’ plot, continuing the trend of the MCU’s Phase 4 honouring Iron Man’s legacy.

While waiting for news on the project, fans may fill the vacuum with the return of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, whose namesake series is still streaming on Disney+.