Movies - TV
Don Cheadle Decided To Join The MCU Over Two Hours Of Laser Tag
By VALERIE ETTENHOFER
After a full 13 years into his run in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as James “Rhodey” Rhodes, Don Cheadle is looking back at his time in the supersuit for GQ. Cheadle revealed that he got the part of Rhodey at a time when he least expected it, as he told GQ, “I was at my kid's laser tag birthday party.”
Cheadle said, “They called me and said [...] ‘We're giving you the offer. If you don't say yes we're going to the next person.'” Marvel execs were in a hurry to get an actor secured for the role, as Cheadle recalled being told by a rep, “‘Why don't you take an hour and decide if you want to do it.'” Cheadle was incredulous, recalling, “It was a six-movie deal. I was like, 'In an hour I have to decide?’”
After only being given an additional hour to decide, Cheadle “played laser tag for two hours and [...] just kind of thought about it.” He finally accepted the role, adding, “We just took a flier and said, okay, we'll do it.” Cheadle has now played Rhodey in seven films and two TV shows, starting as Tony Stark's sidekick before donning the War Machine suit to become a superhero.