Howard, who most recently could be seen on screen playing "Trumpy" in
Idlewild, will play Jim "Rhodey" Rhodes, a close friend/employee of Tony Stark and sometimes a secondary Iron Man suit-filler.
It is not been rumored whether or not Rhodes "War Machine" persona will make an appearance in the movie, but in the comics, the gray/silver Iron Man armor that was considered the most militaristic--was heavily armored and outfitted with the big guns, was the personal favorite of Jim Rhodes, who used it pretty much exclusively in his own campaigns against crime.
"The suit is purely an innovative creation, so this is Marvel meets Tom Clancy technology," Marvel Studios production president Kevin Feige said. "Having the best actors for the key roles allows them to inhabit the hyperkinetic reality of this world."
The Jon Favreau-directed film is the first to be financed through an arrangement that Marvel Studios formed with Merrill Lynch. Paramount Pictures releases the film May 2, 2008.