Terrence Howard on Iron Man Ouster

As the industry publication Hollywood Reporter recently reported, Don Cheadle will apparently be replacing Terrence Howard in the next Iron Man movie as Jim Rhodes, Tony Stark's best friend, in a switch-up that has even the actors themselves confused.

"It was the surprise of a lifetime," Terrence tells NPR, sounding none too pleased. "There was no explanation. The contract just...up and vanished. I read something in the trades implicating that it was about money or something, but apparently the contracts that we write and sign aren't worth the paper that they're printed on, sometimes. Promises aren't kept, and good faith negotiations aren't always held up."

However all may not yet be set in stone, as Marvel Studios President of Production Kevin Feige told MTV News.

“As is the policy with most people, when you talk about dotting I’s and crossing T’s, certainly that isn’t the case yet on a number of things we’re doing,” he says. “But that Hollywood Reporter story was not an announcement. That was, as it tends to happen in the business, is rumors and leaks and things like that. I do think there will be clarity soon.”