If things had worked out just a bit differently, he could've starred in films like Avengers: Infinity War, but instead of joining Downey for future Marvel movies, Howard was canned before Iron Man 2 even got going. So what exactly happened? Why did Marvel Studios get rid of such an integral actor from one of their most popular films? Well, from on-set conflicts to nasty financial battles, here are the real reasons why Terrence Howard was fired from Iron Man 2. Howard has long had a reputation for his irascible attitude. The man has even admitted to " being difficult" to work with. Going back decades, to when he was a young actor trying to land small parts, Howard's temper would often sabotage his own career. After getting a small gig on The Cosby Show, Howard freaked out when his scenes were cut, so he angrily confronted Bill Cosby, a move that ruined his relationship with the show's casting director. A few years later when he played in The Best Man, Howard absolutely refused to deliver a joke as, well, a joke.
Instead, he wanted to say the line in a more serious way, despite what anyone else told him to do.Īccording to the New York Post, industry insiders have described Howard as a "hothead" and someone who "has to be in control of everything, all the time." (It doesn't help that Howard has a history of assault accusations.) Of course, Marvel isn't always the most cooperative movie studio, either.
They famously fired Edward Norton from playing Bruce Banner, they parted ways with Edgar Wright and Patty Jenkins over "creative differences," and big names like Joss Whedon, Natalie Portman, and Mickey Rourke have all found themselves at odds with the studio. So, when you combine a controlling company with a short-fused star like Howard, the results are going to be far from marvelous. Of course, there would never be a next time for Howard. According to Entertainment Weekly, there were reports from the Iron Man set that Howard was making people angry with his infamous "difficult behavior." On top of that, it's been said that director Jon Favreau wasn't crazy about Howard's performance as Rhodey, and rumor has it that he spent a lot of time reshooting Howard's scenes before doing a whole lot of cutting in the editing room. So, when it came time for Iron Man 2, the creative team at Marvel wanted to cut way back on Howard's character, and that's when things started getting financial. According to Howard, he had a three-film contract with Marvel, and they were supposed to pay him $8 million for the sequel.