Don Cheadle, who notably played James Rhodes/War Machine in seven Marvel films, is set to star alongside NBA superstar LeBron James in Space Jam: A New Legacy. The 10-time Emmy nominee recently discussed why he signed on to play the lead villain in the highly anticipated film.
Space Jam: A New Legacy is the long-awaited sequel to 1996’s Space Jam, which starred former Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan and Seinfeld’s Wayne Knight. The film saw Jordan help the Looney Tunes defeat the villainous Monstars in a game of hoops. While Space Jam received mixed reviews, it grossed over $90 million domestically.
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In A New Legacy, Cheadle plays Al G Rhythm, a rogue A.I. that traps James’ son (played by Cedric Joe) into the WB Server-verse. In order to save his son, the four-time NBA champion must defeat AI-G’s basketball team. The live-action comedy features iconic Looney Tunes characters such as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, as well as cameos from NBA All-Stars Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, and Chris Paul. James previously acted alongside Amy Schumer and Bill Hader in Judd Apatow’s hit comedy, Trainwreck.
Cheadle told Entertainment Weekly that while he wasn’t the target audience for the original Space Jam, he always had a love for Jordan and the Warner Bros. characters. The 56-year-old said he joined the sequel because of “the conceit of the film and the opportunity to take a classic title like that and do another spin on it with the latest GOAT, being LeBron.” Cheadle added that he was excited by the opportunity to play an “innovative character” and tell a heart-warming “family story.” The movie star praised James’ acting chops and noted that he had "more acting to do" than Michael Jordan did in the original Space Jam. “He really took it seriously and was really funny and really smart and completely committed; during that same time he's trying to put the [Lakers] together and nursing an injury and going to practice, sometimes before shooting, sometimes after shooting,” said Cheadle.
Space Jam 2 was directed by Malcolm D. Lee, known for his work on comedy films such as Undercover Brother and Scary Movie 5, from a script co-written by multiple writers, including Terence Nance. Before Lee joined the project, Nance had originally been tapped to direct Space Jam 2 until he departed over creative differences with the studio and producers. Recently, it was reported that the decision to delete a scene featuring Pepe Le Pew, in which the skunk would have been chastised for his inappropriate behavior, could be attributed to Nance's exit.
Cheadle has a busy year ahead of him as he is set to reprise his role as James Rhodes/War Machine in the Disney Plus series Armor Wars. The series is based on a seven-issue Iron Man comic book story arc in which Tony Stark’s armor is stolen. Cheadle teased the MCU series in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, saying, “It's going to be dope. We're really going to have a chance to explore a lot of stuff about [James] Rhodes. I mean, you look at what we've done so far, there's a lot left to be explored. So I think there's a lot of real estates that we're going to dig into.” As of now, not much is known about Armour Wars, as information about the plot and casting has yet to be released.
Space Jam: A New Legacy is scheduled to be released in select theaters and on HBO Max on July 16, 2021.
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Source: Entertainment Weekly