When Terrence Howard was asked about rumors he was cut from “Iron Man 2” due to pay disputes connected to Robert Downey Jr. and future sequels, he told Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live” that the deals were all pre-negotiated and that he was offered significantly less to return as James Rhodes —a rumored $1 million salary — and Downey Jr. didn’t respond to his inquiries for help.
“We did a three-picture deal, so that means that you did the deal ahead of time […] a certain amount for the first one, a certain amount for the second one, a certain amount for the third,” Howard told Bravo (via Today). “They came to me with the second and said, ‘Look, we will pay you one-eighth of what we contractually had for you, because we think the second one will be successful with or without you.’ And I called my friend — that I helped get the first job — and he didn’t call me back for three months.”
In the same conversation, Howard reiterated that he loved Downey Jr. and wished him the best. Downey Jr. previously shared a similar sentiment after the casting change in “Iron Man 2,” telling MTV News, “I had nothing to do with that decision. I love Terrence very very much. That’s all I’ll say because I haven’t talked to him yet.” Don Cheadle also stated he wasn’t involved in Howard’s departure. However, Howard’s attitude regarding the situation remained tense. He believed War Machine could have created a huge franchise, and had a simple message for those involved with the decision to drop him: “F*** ’em.”
