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Our coverage of Iron Man at the San Diego Comic Con continues, as our Ultimate Iron Man Fan Contest winner gets the chance to sit down with non-other than Terrance Howard, the magnificent actor who will play the role of James Rhodes for the upcoming Iron Man film. He talks about dealing with a savvy audience, preparation, and learning to fly jets.  

CraveOnline: How did it feel playing one of the first black super heroes?

Terrence Howard: I feel like Sidney Poitier and Jackie Robinson right here. I got to do what they’ve pushed the envelope on for so many years, to be held responsible at the same time for how that characters’ produced. Perhaps in the future they’ll green light other characters or other ethnicities will have a chance, based upon how this is accepted. It’s a lot of [pressure]. I never even thought about it like that, I didn’t recognize that.

CraveOnline: Do you get the chance to step into the armor?

Terrence Howard: You have to remember, the reason that Marvel wanted to be independent on this project right here, was so that they would not have the constraints of a studio that was more concerned with marketing, instead of being concerned with the historical authenticity of the film, that’s what’s more important, to be true creatively.  And then, because this is a very smart audience now, thirty years ago, if an audience didn’t like something, they could be vocal and have their voice heard to three or four persons, now each person can get on [the internet] and say, “I don’t recommend this movie because they forgot this t=and they forgot that.” I mean we’re so much more accountable and we realize that the audience is so much more intelligent than marketing research shows.

CraveOnline: Do you have any scenes with Hilary Swank or even Sam Jackson?

Terrence Howard: uhhh… ya know (sly smile)… They (Marvel) are more concerned with the future aspects of the movie, it’s like yeah, you can go and throw a bunch or preservatives in a piece of food and sell it, and sell a million pieces of it, but then two years from now when the scientific research comes out, nobody’s gonna by it anymore, but if you stay true and start grass roots and touch on the imagination of this intelligent audience, then you have lifetime valuables, and that is great for me because that means I get to go be in the Avengers. Because I put on the suit and go to the Avengers, I get to be Warmachine I get paid man!