I’m just as freaked out about the casting of Iron Man 2 as the people at Stale Popcorn [read here].

People don’t waste your money or bother to see this so called sequel.

I recently got mad. I occasionally get mad and I carry out my own little boycotts. I’m in my eleventh year of boycotting a particular Japanese restaurant here in Las Vegas. I talk bad about them every change I get. When I first learned about the change of talent of the role of Jim Rhodes in the upcoming Iron Man sequel and the treatment of Terrence Howard, I immediately decided that this would be one movie I would have to avoid. Then I decided that I would discourage those in my spheres of influence not to see the flick either. Then I decide to see how many people on the planet I could persuade to skip this release and thus this blog was born.

I am a fan. Not necessarily an Iron Man fan. I am a movie fan. I go out of my way to watch as many movies in the theaters as I can. No DVDs for me (if I can help it).

I am a fan of Terrence Howard as well as Don Cheadle. But what is at issue here is continuity. Unless someone dies, I don’t accept income negotiations as a reason to replace a significant actor in a sequel. I watch sequels to continue the experience. I want the continue the emotional sensations experienced in film number one. I pay to see in subsequent movies whatever that magic was in the first film. I want more and I know that replacement of a strong supporting character is going to cost me that something that I keep coming back for.  It’s like coming home to find someone else in your brother or sister’s chair at the dining table or on the couch, something just isn’t right.

I remember there was a contract issue between the makers of Spiderman and Tobey Maguire. The word on the street was that Jake Cyllenhaal would replace Maguire.  In terms of box office receipts Spider Man 2 was a hit grossing over $783 million worldwide, and won the Academy Award for visual affects. I enjoyed the film but can tell you now that I would have never paid to see a replacement Spiderman.

Spider Man 3 would have never been the highest grossing film for U.S. box office revenue if Spidey was any other than Tobey Maguire.

The actual reason or reasons for replacing Howard with Cheadle in the role of Jim Rhodes may not ever be known. But, I have to beleive that some kind of agreement could have been reached by a motivated Marval Sudios. I was amazed when I heard the surprise experienced by Terrence Howard during a NPR interview. The fact that Terrence learned about this break in his contract from The Hollywood Reporter just adds insult to the injury. The bottom line here is that it is the fan who takes it in the shorts on this one. I for one do not plan to see an Iron Man 2 movie that does not cast the role of Jim Rhodes wtih the already established personality of Terrence Howard.