Every Avenger's Best Performance OUTSIDE The MCU
7. Don Cheadle - Hotel Rwanda
Just like Mark Ruffalo, the quick re-casting decision of Don Cheadle over Terrence Howard was a bold move that some MCU fans may not have been accustomed to, but paid off immensely. As Tony Stark's best friend, James Rhodes needed to be a calming presence in their double-act who could also snipe back if needed to.
It's because of this, Don Cheadle as War Machine has become officially one of the original Avengers (the seventh one if you will!) and even though the Tony Stark story arcs have ended, I'm hoping War Machine will stick around. But if he doesn't, Don Cheadle has a lot to offer the rest of Hollywood. You only have to look at what he made twenty years prior to the MCU to know he's an acting heavyweight.
As Paul Rusesabagina in the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda, the real-life events of the Rwandan Genocide play out in unflinching, fearless ways. The events themselves are horrific enough, and Cheadle's portrayal as the real-life hotelier who sheltered over a thousand civilians from the murderous militia is a role to witness.
Cheadle's performance is gut-punching as he witnesses and navigates through a devastating assault on those around him.