Marvel’s ongoing foray into television has largely been a success, with many of its original programs becoming hits overnight. Regardless, not all characters are destined for the small screen. And as of two months ago, that includes Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes/War Machine. The studio announced back in September that its long-in-the-works Armor Wars series was being re-tooled into a film, surprising many fans along the way. But according to producer Nate Moore, the reason for the switch simply boils down to the need for more money.
It goes without saying that Marvel’s big-screen projects get more financial leeway that their TV counterparts. Over the last two years, the MCU’s Disney+ offerings have managed to deliver some impressive CGI set pieces. But it occasionally becomes clear that they have smaller budgets to work with. Case in point: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which even used a fourth-wall break to poke fun at Jennifer Walters’ preference for transforming off-screen. However, it sounds like the studio couldn’t afford to pinch any pennies on Armor Wars.
“I mean in that case, there were some great ideas that were coming out for that show, but that, to be quite honest, felt too big for that show,” Moore recently told The Town podcast (via Collider). “You know, our Disney+ shows are awesome, and we love them. But the budgets are not the same as the features, that’s no secret. And when you’re talking about a show that wants to be about seeing all the cool armors and, you know, Don Cheadle interacting with all these armors and sort of the legacy of Tony Stark, that became kind of cost prohibitive to do as a show.”
RELATED: Marvel’s Armor Wars Series is Now Being Developed as a Film
“And we realized as a feature, not only can we get into some of the beautiful imagery that is from publishing, and there’s certainly an Armor Wars run,” continued Moore. “But also there’s ways then to leverage the ideas of that movie and affect other movies down the line.”
Fans generally consider Armor Wars to be one of the best Iron Man arcs in Marvel history. Originally published between 1987 and 1988, the story found Tony Stark battling several new villains who stole his technology. Of course, Tony’s death in Avengers: Endgame means we aren’t getting a facsimile of what happened in the comics. But hearing that the producers are willing to spend more money to do it justice definitely bodes well for the quality of the film.
Marvel still hasn’t announced a release date for Armor Wars.
Does it sound like the studio made the right call by developing the project as a movie? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Iron Man by Fraction & Larroca: The Complete Collection Vol. 1
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