Don Cheadle will Armor Up as War Machine in 'Avengers: Age of Ultron'

If you were one of those who caught Iron Man 3 earlier this year, and considering the $1B it earned chances are you were, then it's clear Tony Stark has gone through some significant changes. Enough that when he reappears for Avengers: Age of Ultron, we can't expect him to be in the same as he was before. Frankly, he's going to need a lot of help from his friends, and now it can be confirmed that his best friend will be joining him.

Earlier today our friends at Bleeding Cool dropped a rumor that Don Cheadle would be turning up as James "War Machine" Rhodes in Joss Whedon's sequel, and now Hitfix has confirmed it. They say War Machine will play a "key role" in the fight against the evil android Ultron, but what that entails exactly is obviously still a mystery. The suggestion is Marvel is planning for Robert Downey Jr.'s eventual departure and hedging their bets a little bit by bringing in another armored Avenger. That could be the case but Downey's not going anywhere just yet, and considering the money thrown his way he could stick around for awhile, at least for the big team jamborees.

Cheadle joins the returning cast plus newcomers Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and James Spader when Avengers: Age of Ultron opens May 1st 2015.