The Online Petition to Finally Make ‘Armor Wars’ Is Online Among Worries that Marvel is “Dropping the Ball” on Black-Led Projects

Marvel Studios has a lot of projects planned for the next few years, with most of them clearly progressing through their stages of development. However, one film has been stuck in development limbo for several years, with only scattered updates emerging. We’re talking about War Machine’s movie, ‘Armor Wars.’

‘Armor Wars’ was envisioned as a film based on the comic storyline of the same name. It was intended to follow ‘Secret Invasion’ (which came out last year) and ‘Ironheart’ (Set to be released in 2025). Back in 2011, Don Cheadle confirmed that a War Machine film was in the works and that Joe Robert Cole had been hired to write it.

Nine years later, during Disney’s 2020 Investor Day, it was announced that ‘Armor Wars’ would be developed as a television series for Disney+, with Don Cheadle set to reprise his role as James Rhodes. In 2021, Cheadle also mentioned that production would begin in a few months.

In August 2021, Yassir Lester was brought on as the head writer for the series. However, by September 2022, Marvel Studios decided to turn the series into a feature film, keeping both Don Cheadle and Yassir Lester involved. Filming was expected to start in early 2023 at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, but was delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, which impacted the entire entertainment industry.

As you can see this is a very long and complicated development, and the only updates we’re really getting about the projects are rumors. One recent rumor however scared fans, as it sort of implies that the project is on its deathbed along with ‘Blade’ reboot.

Daniel Richtman recently shared an industry scoop via his Patreon that the studio will decide on what to do with the projects in the following months:

This is quite a specific scoop since both projects have been in development hell for years, however, only Blade’s troubles have been broadcasted publicly as the director walked away from the projects back in March and Ali’s attorney stated that it’s insane that the project hasn’t moved following several years of development.

Plenty of fans have been excited about ‘Armor Wars’ and as soon as the rumor hit the social media petition was started to keep ‘Armor Wars’ from being canceled.

The petition doesn’t ask for much just that Marvel Studios deliver the project the description is as follows:

Marvel’s Armor Wars was first announced December 2020 as a Disney+ series and in August 2022, it was announced that it would have six episodes and begin filming in 2023. A month later, September 2022, it was announced that Armor Wars was being reworked into a film.

In two years, there have been no official updates on Armor Wars, leaving fans to speculate if the film has been quietly canceled.

One has to wonder why Marvel is continuously dropping the ball on POC-led projects such as Armor Wars and Blade. Ironheart has been finished for two years and is now slated to release in 2025.

Marvel, do better, and please make Armor Wars! 

The petition also implies that the studio has a problem with POC or in this case “Black-led” projects. This is just one in line of criticism toward the studio regarding black roles as fans noticed that the studio seemingly doesn’t try hard enough with it comes to recasting black characters and black stories.

The petition currently has more than 40 signatures. Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!

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