Don Cheadle Joins LeBron James In ‘Space Jam 2’; Curry, Harden, Durant Will Not

Space Jam 2 is getting a new addition to the cast–Don Cheadle!

The Avengers: Endgame actor has been announced as the newest cast member to the Terence Nance-directed sequel. This is all that is known of his involvement, as his role is being kept a secret. 

Cheadle joins Sonequa Martin-Green, who has been cast as Lebron James‘ wife. While these two are the only actors who have been announced so far, there are other characters that take part in the sequel, including Dom, a character who will be the film’s co-lead and will be cast as a teen actor. Another character named Malik is modeled after James’ real-life childhood friend and business partner, Maverick Carter.

LeBron James is having trouble recruiting his fellow NBA stars to join Space Jam 2, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Apparently, the sticking point with stars like Stephen Curry and James Harden is over shoe contracts. Both Curry and Harden are beholden to sneaker deals with Under Armour and Adidas, respectively. This would be in conflict with Nike, the sneaker associated with the Space Jam franchise.

Kevin Durant, another player James has tried to recruit for the film, won’t join either, but for different reasons. Even though Durant is a Nike affiliated basketball player, he is looking to create his own mark on Hollywood. He has projects in the works like Swagger, which was recently announced as part of Apple TV+’s initial lineup of programming.

Cheadle has had a big year; not only has he starred in Endgame, the second-highest grossing film in history, but he also stars on Showtime’s Black Monday, which will be back for its second season in 2020.

Space Jam 2 stars and is executive produced by James, Sev Ohanian, and Allison Abbate. Producers include Carter, Ryan Coogler and Justin Lin. The film will be in theaters on July 16, 2021. The film will also be written by Coogler and Ohanian.