Don Cheadle has shared his reaction to Robert Downey Jr. becoming the Doctor Doom of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Cheadle and RDJ share a long history in the MCU, with the actors’ bond going as far back as 2010’s Iron Man 2. Their characters are best friends, with Tony Stark and James Rhodes sharing many hilarious, action-packed, and heartfelt moments over a decade in the franchise. Cheadle has now reacted to Downey’s MCU return, which happens as Doctor Doom, not Iron Man.

Speaking with Collider, War Machine actor Don Cheadle revealed he was shocked by RDJ’s Doctor Doom casting, also playing coy about an Avengers: Secret Wars return. Previously, Hawkeye actor Jeremy Renner revealed he was surprised by Downey’s sudden MCU return, and Cheadle felt the same way, saying, “I was like, ‘What the f*ck?” When asked about Avengers: Secret Wars‘ story possibly having room for his War Machine, the actor joked about not knowing who the Russo Brothers — the directors of the movie and other Avengers entries like Infinity War and Endgame — were. Check out the full quote below:

About RDJ’s Doctor Doom casting: “I was like, ‘What the f*ck? They’re rewriting, they’re reworking, and so I honestly can’t even tease anything.”

About Avengers: Secret Wars: “ I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I’ve heard of a Russo Brother. There are two? You know I can’t talk about that stuff.”

How RDJ’s Doctor Doom Return May Change War Machine’s Story

Don Cheadle’s Rhodey Had A Major Project Lined Up

With Downey back in the MCU, multiple storylines planned for the Multiverse Saga should face changes. The biggest one of them is related to Kang the Conqueror and his variants, who should either be killed off, ignored, or play a smaller role now that RDJ’s Doctor Doom is taking over as the main villain of the next two Avengers movies. However, War Machine’s MCU story could also be heavily impacted by Downey’s shocking return to the franchise. The reason for that is Iron Man’s legacy.

Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom will reportedly debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The MCU was set to explore the legacy of Downey’s Tony Stark through multiple projects, with Disney+’s Ironheart series and the planned Armor Wars movie being the biggest of them. The latter still has no release date, but it would feature Cheadle’s War Machine as its lead character. However, RDJ’s MCU return could lead to the project getting scrapped. With the Iron Man actor back in the franchise and serving as the MCU’s biggest villain, exploring Downey’s past at the same moment that the MCU sets up his Doctor Doom might be too much.

War Machine’s story would then be caught in the crossfire, with the character’s first project as a lead being in doubt right now. However, if RDJ’s Doctor Doom happens to be a Tony Stark variant, then Rhodey could end up becoming one of the main characters of the next two Avengers movies. Given his close bond to Tony Stark, Don Cheadle’s War Machine could have an important role in the films even if Doctor Doom is not a Stark variant, simply due to his reactions and inner turmoil to seeing a character who looks just like his best friend did.