Marvel in Talks To Bring Back ‘Iron Man’ Actor, Report Says

Marvel wants to bring back Iron Man 2 (2010) actor Sam Rockwell, a recent report says.

Between Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), The Marvels (2023), and the firing of Kang actor Jonathan Majors, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had a tough year in 2023. However, as it moves into 2024, the studio is looking ahead to new projects that will (hopefully) turn the tide of public opinion on the post-Endgame MCU.

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While this year will be a quiet one in movie theaters for Marvel – save the release of Deadpool 3 (2024) – there’s plenty happening behind the scenes, including the development of Armor Wars. Described as a spin-off to the Iron Man series, this will center on Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) best friend, James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes (Don Cheadle).

It reportedly may also feature another familiar face from the franchise: Justin Hammer. According to industry insider Daniel Richtman (@DanielRPK) – who’s previously shared scoops such as major plot points for The Marvels – Marvel Studios has had talks with Iron Man 2‘s Sam Rockwell about bringing his villain back for the series.

Last time audiences saw Justin Hammer, he was an American defense contractor (and one of Tony Stark’s biggest rivals). After trying to build his own line of Iron Man suit knockoffs for the U.S. military and transforming Rhodey from War Machine to Iron Patriot, he recruited Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) to do it for him – ultimately leading to Hammer’s arrest when Vanko betrays him.

In MCU canon, these events took place 14 years ago, meaning it’s not impossible for Hammer to be a free man ready to stir up more trouble in Armor Wars (which, to be clear, is not the same thing as Secret Wars). The movie is said to see Rhodey deal with Stark Industries technology falling into the wrong hands after his friend’s death in Avengers: Endgame (2019), and the aftermath of Rhodey being impersonated by a Skrull (as was controversially revealed in the Disney+ series Secret Invasion).

Related: Marvel Announces Official Return of ‘Black Panther’

For now, Armor Wars has no confirmed release date and doesn’t appear in Marvel’s upcoming release slate. However, Richtman also claims that the project will aim to kick off filming in 2025.

Until that day comes – or until we get confirmation from Marvel or Rockwell himself – this is all just a rumor. However, considering Rockwell recently reprised his role for the return of Hammer in season two of What If…? – and the fandom’s warm reception to the character in general, despite the general we wouldn’t be too surprised if he cropped up in the Marvel universe again in the future.

Would you like to see Sam Rockwell return as Justin Hammer in the MCU? Let us know in the comments!