Don Cheadle Going up Against LeBron James as 'Space Jam 2' Villain, 'Black Monday' Co-Star Says

Actor Don Cheadle has long been involved in the upcoming Space Jam 2, the sequel to Michael Jordan's animated basketball film from 1996. His role was unknown, but there were some fans that believed the actor behind Iron Man's War Machine would simply be showing up in a cameo appearance. However, actor Paul Scheer may have revealed the upcoming role.

"Actually Don Cheadle, who I do Black Monday with, he's the bad guy in Space Jam [2], and he said LeBron's really great. He was great in Trainwreck too," Scheer said during an appearance on The Athletic's "Clip City" podcast. He was primarily discussing the Los Angeles Clippers and NBA star Blake Griffin, but Scheer also shed some light on Space Jam 2.

The League actor has been working with Cheadle on the second season of Black Monday and could be viewed as a close source. Although the role of a villain has not been confirmed. If he is indeed serving as the prime antagonist to LeBron James, it's possible that Cheadle will be providing the voice for an animated character.

With rising concerns over COVID-19, there is a belief that Space Jam 2 will not be released on the original date. However, James did clarify that the film remains on schedule. The current expectation is that it will hit theaters in June 2021.

"Space Jam has always been scheduled to come out in June of 2021. So we're kind of [OK]," James said, per Cinema Blend. "And a lot of it right now is animation, so being indoors is actually great for us. So we're still on. Just like everything in the world, everything is slowed down a little bit, but we're still on target. I'm looking forward to it.

"During this time right now, I wish we could release it right now, man, and give people some things to watch in their households. But we got until next year, next summer. We're excited about it."

James has reportedly finished filming all of his scenes back in September, and the animators are currently working on getting the film finished. One of the animators revealed that he is actually working on the project at home while in self-quarantine.

Space Jam 2 will feature several NBA stars such as Anthony Davis, who is teammates with James in Los Angeles. Other featured players include Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, Klay Thompson and Russell Westbrook. WNBA stars Diana Taurasi and Nneka Ogwumike will also appear in the film, per The Athletic.

(Photo Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)