2. Don Cheadle
Why not? And don't give me "because he is War Machine". The problem with having someone take up the mantle of Iron Man is that we love the Tony Stark character and it can't just be anyone take up the his baby. I can't see fans warming to the idea of just throwing in some previously unannounced young hotshot to just take over. We need to at least get a feeling for who this person is. As of right now, the only real contender would be James Rhodes, because let's be honest, it probably isn't going to be Happy Hogan. Of course, his affiliation and loyalty to the military could be considered a stumbling block but that is easily solvable with a double cross or a disillusioning event. Also, James Rhodes has taken up the Iron Man suit a bunch of times in the comics. He is essentially the substitute Iron Man when Tony gets wrapped up in his own stuff. There is no reason why he couldn't do this in the movies. The only real stumbling block though is that Don Cheadle obviously isn't Robert Downey Jr. He has certainly put together some great performances and his highly respected but he can't draw an audience like RDJ. However, the Iron Man brand is profitable just as a name and we know who his character is, so unless studios could really bring in a top billed star to replace Robert Downey Jr, it may well be the best option.