While many people involved in the production of “Iron Man 2″ remain mum on the sudden replacement of Terrence Howard with Don Cheadle, Robert Downey Jr. apparently has something to be said on the buzzed-about topic. Playing it coy about his reaction to the replacement, the 43-year-old insisted to MTV News, “I had nothing to do with that decision.”
“I love Terrence very very much. That’s all I’ll say because I haven’t talked to him yet,” Downey Jr. further added. Making sure that he doesn’t play favorites between the two actors, the “Charlie Bartlett” actor also praised Cheadle saying, “I’ve always admired Don [Cheadle].”
Meanwhile on the swap issue itself, he commented, “It’s one of those situations where I still don’t quite know what happened or why. Here’s what happens too: things happen and you wind up commenting on them before you’ve actually talked to the people and it’s in poor taste.”
On his priority on the “Iron Man” sequel, he revealed, “I think the important thing with the ‘Iron Man’ franchise is to not do too much too soon and to make sure we don’t piss off the public that put us in the position we’re in. We’ve just got to keep rolling up our sleeves higher and further up the elbow.”
In late October, the replacement of Terrence Howard, the actor who plays Lt. Col James Rhodes in “Iron Man”, by his “Crash” co-star, Don Cheadle, in “Iron Man 2″ has been confirmed. Though it was not explained why Howard’s role is given to Cheadle, many suggested that the recasting may be grounded from the financial differences. Nonetheless, “Iron Man 2″ will still be penned by “Tropic Thunder” co-scribbler Justin Theroux and is scheduled to be released on May 7, 2010.
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