Why 'Rhodey' Was Recast In Iron Man

There's been a lot of talk lately on why Terrence Howard was booted off Iron Man 2, and it has been a 50-50 deal so far. Some sources side Terrence whereas some side Marvel Studios and even support the 'out with Howard, in with Cheadle' move. As of now, Don Cheadle has been confirmed as the replacement for Terrence Howard and needless to say Cheadle's gonna' be the one who steps into the uber-awesome WarMachine armour that was so shamelessly hinted in Iron Man. A recent article on Entertainment Weekly has this to say about the situation:

Hollywood insiders believe the exit stems from Terrence Howard's difficult behavior on the set of Iron Man. But those with intimate knowledge of the situation suggest a far more dramatic backstory: Howard was the first actor signed to the film and, on top of that, was the highest-paid. That's right: more than Gwyneth Paltrow. More than Jeff Bridges. More than Robert Downey Jr. And once the project fully came together, it was too late to renegotiate his deal. It didn't help that, according to one source, Favreau and his producers were ultimately unhappy with Howard's performance, and spent a lot of time cutting and reshooting his scenes. (Favreau could not be reached for comment, while Howard's publicist says: ''Terrence had a tremendous experience working on Iron Man.'')

So basically it says that Terrence Howard was being a glorified @$$hole on set. I'm not so sure I believe whatever Entertainment Weekly has to say because Howard doesn't look like a person who'd be a prick, but then again who am I to judge. Surprisingly enough, fans of the series seem pretty happy about Marvel's decision. Also surprising is that a large majority have commented on Terrence Howard's voice being too 'sissy' for the role. If you ask me, continuity means a lot. Recasting a side character doesn't create such an impact but recasting someone as integral as Col' Jim 'Rhodey' Rhodes (who eventually becomes Iron Man's most trusted sidekick') is a major mistake. It'd just seem weird after this. Terrence and Downey had already established their chemistry with each other on Iron Man. Seeing Cheadle suddenly step in would be awkward to say the least. But all that being said, given the choice, I would have voted for Don Cheadle to be cast as Jim Rhodes from the start. I didn't like Marvel's decision at first, but come to think of it, the man is taller, more muscular, and seems to fit in the role of Tony Stark's friend better than Terrence did. I'd like to say there's a certain quality to Don, but I'm not so sure what it is.