Sam Rockwell Says He's "In" If Marvel Wants Him Back As Justin Hammer: "I'm Waiting For The Phone Call"

Sam Rockwell is back on movie screens in Matthew Vaughn‘s latest spy romp, “Argylle,” but what’s next for the actor? A return to a certain MCU role, maybe? Jimmy Fallon addressed rumors that Rockwell will reprise his “Iron Man 2” character Justin Hammer during the actor’s interview on “The Tonight Show” last night. And while Rockwell couldn’t confirm anything, he said he’s “in” if Marvel Studios wants him back.

“There’s a rumor that your character that you played, Justin Hammer, I heard there’s a rumor that your character might come back in the new “Armor Wars,” Fallon said to Rockwell during the interview. “Well, I’m waiting for the phone call,” Rockwell replied. Then the actor joked, “I’m growing the beard and everything.” Rockwell also said that “it’s been awhile” since he played Hammer (“Iron Man 2” hit theaters in 2010), but that “I’m in” if Marvel wants the character to return.

Of course, Rockwell’s comments confirm nothing but it’s probably the worst-kept secret in Hollywood next to Sentry being the villain in “Thunderbolts” that Rockwell will return as Hammer in “Armor Wars.” It’s so obvious that everyone just expects it to happen even without an official announcement. Originally planned as a Disney+ series, “Armor Wars” sees James Rhodes confront one of Tony Stark’s greatest fears when Stark’s Iron Man tech falls into the wrong hands. The film serves as a direct sequel to the Disney+ shows “Ironheart” and “Secret Wars,” with Dominique Thorne reprising her role as Riri Williams/Ironheart. “Armor Wars” doesn’t have a release date yet, but it’s part of the MCU’s Phase 6 which includes a new “Fantastic Four” movie as well as “Thunderbolts,” “Blade,” and two new “Avengers” films.

But let’s not forget that Rockwell has already reprised his role as Justin Hammer on the latest season of “What If…?,” Marvel’s multiversal animated series. So the actor’s comments on “The Tonight Show” may be a little disingenuous: Rockwell probably already knows he’ll be back on screen as Hammer in the future, but doesn’t know when “Armor Wars” will start shooting. With the MCU’s myriad schedule changes during the guild strikes last year, don’t expect the movie in theaters until 2026 at the earliest. That’s plenty of time for Rockwell to clarify if he’ll indeed be back in the MCU soon.