Perhaps it was a foregone conclusion that if Tom was destined to return as Cardboard Iron Man a Cardboard War Machine wouldn’t be far behind. Really, can you blame me? It’s friggin’ War Machine. I don’t even care that the comic character was created in the mid-90’s to make Iron Man darker and more “extreme.” HIS NAME IS WAR MACHINE. It’s literal AND fun to say. Instant win, right there.

The first Iron Man did a good job hinting at War Machine’s inclusion in the franchise after Terrence Howard looked at the Mark II suit in Tony Stark’s garage and said “Next time, baby.”

Of course, now that the sequel is here, it isn’t Howard that will be in the suit. After contract negotiations fell through, Howard has been replaced by Don Cheadle.

For the sake of consistency, I would have preferred Howard kept the role. But it’s hard to complain about Don Cheadle stepping into his shoes. That’s like going to a restaurant and having the waiter take away your hamburger while you’re eating. Then, five minutes later, he comes back with a replacement burger that has cheese and bacon on it.

I’m a little mad you took away my burger while I was eating it. But you gave me cheese and bacon on this new burger. I’m starting to forget about the first burger altogether. Damn, this is a tasty burger!

What I’m saying is that Don Cheadle is awesome.

And a major contributor to heart disease.

That’s all I have for today’s blog. Be sure to check back on Friday for more Iron Man 2 related goodies! Who will show up in costume next? Will the briefcase armor make an appearance? Stay tuned!

In the meantime, why don’t you add your two cents to the conversation about Terrance Howard being replaced by Don Cheadle in the comments section? Good decision? Bad decision? YOU MAKE THE CALL!