What Really Happened Between Robert Downey Jr. & Terrence Howard After Iron Man
James "Rhodey" Rhodes made his comic book debut in "Iron Man" #118 (by David Michelinie, Bob Layton, John Byrne, Glynis Wein, and Irving Watanabe) and quickly established himself as a central supporting character in Tony Stark's adventures. Rhodey became a hero himself, eventually getting his own armor and taking on the mantle of War Machine after temporarily succeeding Stark as Iron Man.
But while James Rhodes is one of Stark's closest confidants and friends, both on the big screen and in the Marvel comics, when Terrence Howard took the role of Rhodey in the first "Iron Man," an alleged feud between the actor and Robert Downey Jr. began, leading to the future War Machine being recast over supposed pay issues. Entertainment Weekly reported Howard was difficult on set and that director John Favreau was unhappy with his performance, leading to reshoots occurring. To make matters more complicated, the same report suggests Howard was the highest-paid actor in the film — an unusual circumstance for a supporting performer. As a result, Don Cheadle eventually took over the role in "Iron Man 2" and the "Avengers" franchise.
According to Howard, a pay dispute over the "Iron Man" sequel combined with a lack of support from Downey Jr. led to his dismissal from the role and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "And guess who got the millions I was supposed to get?" Howard said in a 2015 Rolling Stone interview. "[Downey Jr.] got the whole franchise, so I've actually given him $100 million, which ends up being a $100 million loss for me from me trying to look after somebody."
Howard blamed Downey Jr. for not supporting him
When Terrence Howard was asked about rumors he was cut from "Iron Man 2" due to pay disputes connected to Robert Downey Jr. and future sequels, he told Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live" that the deals were all pre-negotiated and that he was offered significantly less to return as James Rhodes —a rumored $1 million salary — and Downey Jr. didn't respond to his inquiries for help.
"We did a three-picture deal, so that means that you did the deal ahead of time [...] a certain amount for the first one, a certain amount for the second one, a certain amount for the third," Howard told Bravo (via Today). "They came to me with the second and said, 'Look, we will pay you one-eighth of what we contractually had for you, because we think the second one will be successful with or without you.' And I called my friend — that I helped get the first job — and he didn't call me back for three months."
In the same conversation, Howard reiterated that he loved Downey Jr. and wished him the best. Downey Jr. previously shared a similar sentiment after the casting change in "Iron Man 2," telling MTV News, "I had nothing to do with that decision. I love Terrence very very much. That's all I'll say because I haven't talked to him yet." Don Cheadle also stated he wasn't involved in Howard's departure. However, Howard's attitude regarding the situation remained tense. He believed War Machine could have created a huge franchise, and had a simple message for those involved with the decision to drop him: "F*** 'em."
What happened to Terrence Howard?
Despite not returning as James Rhodes in future installments of "Iron Man," Howard has maintained a solid career in movies and television. He's appeared in numerous films, including Denis Villeneuve's "Prisoners" and Lee Daniels '"The Butler," but his most notable post-MCU role is his performance as record executive Lucious Lyon on the musical drama series, "Empire." Howard has also starred in the M. Night Shyamalan mystery "Wayward Pines," the Peacock comedy "The Best Man: The Final Chapters," and is set to star alongside Kevin Hart and Samuel L. Jackson in the upcoming Peacock series, "Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist."
So, while Howard might not be the superhero star it once seemed he would become, he's still managed to carve out a solid career while continuing to land interesting roles to this day. As for his feud with Downey Jr., Howard shared in a 2016 Instagram post that things were "all good" between him and the actor. At the very least, it seems he no longer believes Downey Jr. is responsible for him losing the role.