Don Cheadle already had an impressive resume before taking over as James Rhodes in Iron Man 2, but his time as War Machine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the last decade has definitely boosted his popularity. Now with the incredibly successful Avengers: Endgame behind him, Cheadle has found his next major motion picture to star in: Space Jam 2.
According to Deadline, Don Cheadle has signed on for an important role in Space Jam 2, although no details about his character were revealed. Given that Cheadle got to voice Donald Duck in an episode of DuckTales last year, it seems appropriate that now he gets to play around in the Looney Tunes sandbox. The actor has also been keeping busy lately with the Showtime series Black Monday, which has been renewed for a second season that will air next year.
Since no plot details for Space Jam 2 have been revealed yet, it’s hard to speculate on how Don Cheadle fits into the picture. My guesses are that he’s either voicing one of the new characters, like succeeding Danny DeVito as the main villain, or he’s following in Bill Murray’s footsteps and playing a fictional version of himself who’s friends with Lebron James. If it’s the latter idea, then perhaps like Murray, Cheadle would also join James and the Looney Tunes on the basketball court.
Whatever his role in Space Jam 2 is, Don Cheadle joins a cast that also includes Star Trek: Discovery star Sonequa Martin-Green, who is playing Lebrun James’ wife. Basketball players Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Diana Taurus, Nneka Ogwumike and Chiney Ogwumike are also on board to play themselves, though it remains to be seen if their talent will be taken away like what happened to Charles Barkley and others back in the day.
Although talk of Space Jam 2 has been happening since just a year after its predecessor came out, the movie in its current form didn’t officially get announced until 2014, with Lebron James filling Michael Jordan’s shoes for the sequel and also producing through his studio SpringHill Entertainment. Justin Lin signed on to direct Space Jam 2 in 2016, but exited the project in 2018, instead choosing to helm Fast & Furious 9.
Now Terence Nance of Random Acts of Flyness fame has taken over directorial duties, and Black Panther’s Ryan Coogler is producing. Space Jam 2 began filming beginning late last month, so presumably that means we’ll learn who else is joining Lebron James, Don Cheadle and everyone else on camera in the coming weeks/months.
Space Jam 2 hits theaters on July 16, 2021, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more coverage. Don’t forget to also find out what movies are arriving sooner in our 2019 release schedule.
