Summary
While there has been a whirlwind of rumors concerningArmor Warsfor months, fans can finally rest easy as a Marvel Studios executive clears the air on one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most troubled projects in a new interview.
Armor Warshas been in development at Marvel Studios for ages, with a War Machine movie being mentioned by Don Cheadle as early as 2011 and that same film still being discussed in 2019. However, by 2020, plans had changed at the studio, and Kevin Feige would announceArmor Warsas a Disney+ show in the aftermath ofAvengers: Endgame.This early announcement had many fans thinking the project would be part of the first wave of MCU Disney+ shows following the success ofWandavision,but several other projects would be announced, produced, and released whileArmor Warsremained unmoving. Some hope returned when the project was ‘upgraded’ to a theatrical release, but that, too, seems to have meant little in terms of making progress. Since then, there have been rumors of all sorts concerning the project, none of them coming off as particularly positive. This general vibe has led many fans to conclude that the project will never actually be realized and thatMarvel Studios needs to scrapArmor Warsaltogether.
It’s been ages since any concrete details about the project have been released, and fans have been stuck wonderingwhat’s been going on with Armor Wars,with nothing but rumors to refer to. However, a recent interview with Marvel Studios Producer Nate Moore gives fans the first official word on the project in ages. Speaking withColliderabout the upcoming fourth installment in theCaptain Americafilm series, the Anthony Mackie-ledCaptain America: Brave New World, Moore, who serves as a producer on the film, also weighed in on the current status ofArmor Wars.“You know, that’s not my project, to be honest,” Moore stated. “But, I do know, as Marvel [Studios] continues to go through this phase, we want to make sure whatever we’re making is awesome. So that means we had to slow down some things that were on the front burner. It doesn’t mean we’ll never make it, but it does mean we just have to be a little bit more considered so that every time out, audiences are guaranteed quality.”
While Moore was originally attached to theArmor Warsproject as well asCaptain America: Brave New World,it was revealed at the end of last year that the producer would be ending his 14-year tenure at Marvel Studios, albeit with the caveat that he would remain on the promotional tour for the upcomingCaptain Americafilm and remain attached to the upcomingBlack Panther 3.With Moore no longer Marvel Studios’ VP of Production & Development, it makes sense that he would be taken off any projects that are stalled at the moment. However, his information is certainly still valid and is likely the closest anyone is going to get to addressing the project’s status in an official capacity. This statement seems to correlate with the recentArmor Warsupdate from Daniel Richtman concerning the project’s rumored cancellation, which stated that it was on hold in part due to the backlash fromSecret Invasionand looked unlikely to be completed anytime before the upcomingAvengersfilms. While this state of affairs is better than an out-and-out cancellation, as projects likeAgatha All Alongmanaged to make it to the finish line despite a similar dragging of feet behind the scenes, it’s also worth noting thatAgatha All Alongwas announced well afterArmor Wars,and that project is now done and on Disney+.
While the project seems bound to remain in the shadow realm alongside the MCUBladereboot and any chances of a crossover film with DC, there are stilla few strong reasons for Marvel Studios to makeArmor Wars.If nothing else, it would provide the studio with a critical opportunity to redeem Cheadle’s Rhodey after the absolute disaster that was his bigSecret Invasionreveal. With a plot directly tied to Tony Stark’s legacy in a similar vein to its comic book namesake,Armor Warscould make up for the fan betrayal that Rhodes’ abduction caused in view of Stark’s death.
Armor Warscurrently has no release date or window.
