Marvel turns Armor Wars from Disney Plus series to a movie

Don Cheadle in Secret Invasion — (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Armor Wars, perhaps the upcoming Marvel project we know the least about, is changing course. While it was originally conceived as a Disney Plus series starring Don Cheadle’s Rhodey, it is now being turned into a movie.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Armor Wars will be "redeveloped as a feature film." That comes after sources close to the trade say it became clear it was best suited to being a box-office release. The project was confirmed to still be in active development during Disney’s D23 expo – which saw a wave of new announcements.

Yassir Lester, previously attached as head writer for Armor Wars, is sticking around to pen the movie’s script. No release date has yet been given – nor any indication on if it will fit into Marvel Phase 5 or Marvel Phase 6. Cheadle’s character, last seen briefly in Falcon and The Winter Soldier, will return in 2023’s Secret Invasion alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Olivia Colman, and Emilia Clarke.

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Armor Wars, then, may still be a while off. The MCU has a packed schedule, with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (which brings Marvel Phase 4 to a close) being followed by Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in early 2023. Beyond that, Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Echo, Loki season 2, The Marvels, and Ironheart are all planned for the next calendar year. Blade, which recently lost its director just a month before filming, is still locked in for November 3, 2023.

For more on the MCU’s stacked slate, here are all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows currently in the works.

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.