In an unexpected turn of events, the Disney+ series Armor Wars is being reworked by Marvel Studios to become a movie. As The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reveals, the change came mid-development, after Marvel Studios realized the film format was better suited to tell the ambitious story.
In Marvel Comics, the Armor Wars storyline focus on the legacy of Tony Stark, whose wondrous armor technology led to multiple villains getting their hands on weapons of mass destruction. Since the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Tony Stark (Robert Dowey Jr.) is dead, the series was led by Don Cheadle’s War Machine, Tony’s best friend who also wore a super suit in his superhero career. The series was also set to star Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, a genius teenager who becomes Ironheart, the superhero successor of Tony Stark in the comic books.
It’s still unknown how much Armor Wars will change to fit the film format, but both War Machine and Ironheart are set to appear in other Marvel Studio productions in the next few years. First, Riri will make her MCU debut this November when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever debuts in theaters. The heroine is also set to get her own solo Disney+ series, Ironheart, in late 2023. As for Cheadle’s War Machine, the hero is a big part of the upcoming spy-thriller Secret Invasion, which follows Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) going after a group of shapeshifting alien Skrulls who have infiltrated the most influential organizations on Earth. Secret Invasion is expected to directly connect to Armor Wars, which means we could be facing another Civil War, as paranoia leads her to turn against each other.
While changing from a series format to a film is surprising, Armor Wars is expected to keep the same creative team. Yassir Lester, who was acting as the series' leading writer, will also pen the screenplay for the film. The big question remains how Marvel Studios will fit Armor Wars in its bloated theatrical schedule, as the studios already have film release dates set on the calendar through 2026.
Armor War’s shift from series to a movie is not the only surprising Marvel news we got this week, as Ryan Reynolds also announced the MCU debut of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in Deadpool 3. Deadpool 3 also got a theatrical release on September 6, 2024. This has been a great year for Marvel Studios so far, with their latest San Diego Comic-Con reigniting the hype surrounding their expansive superhero universe. With these casual bombs dropped every few days, the MCU proves once and for all it's not slowing down.