Terrence Howard "the surprise of a lifetime."

When it was announced that Terrence Howard was out of "Iron Man 2" and that Don Cheadle would be taking over the role of James "Rhodey" Rhodes, the question on most observers' minds was "Why?" The first film was an enormous success, turning a little-known Marvel Comics character into a household name and raking in $318 million domestically. Howard received solid reviews for his work in the film. And the movie itself seemed to indicate that Rhodey would have a bigger part in the sequel when he looked at the silver Mark II suits and said to himself, "Next time, baby."

Terrence Howard himself seemed at a loss as to why he was replaced, telling NPR that getting the news was "the surprise of a lifetime." Initial reports said that negotiations between Howard's representatives and Marvel Studios "fell through over financial differences," but a recent article in Entertainment Weekly suggests it was more complicated than that.

While Marvel refused to comment on why Howard was replaced, they did officially announce last week that not only would Don Cheadle play Rhodes in "Iron Man 2," but also in "The Avengers" movie. Robert Downey Jr. also signed for the sequel and the spin-off that will team Tony Stark up with other heroes like Thor, Captain America and the Hulk. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said in a press release, "It has already become apparent as we prep the movie for production, that the dynamic between Robert and Don will take 'Iron Man 2' to new heights." (Yahoo! Movies).