During the first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Don Cheadle reprises his role as Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes for a brief scene where he asks Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson why he’s letting Captain America’s shield sit in the Smithsonian. Now, it’s not a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo, but it’s also not a very long or pivotal scene. It lasted less than two minutes. To be honest, it mostly felt like an obligatory setup for when Cheadle stars in Armor Wars, his own Marvel series on Disney+, more than anything else.
So, imagine everyone’s surprise when Cheadle’s brief cameo netted him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama. It was so random that even Cheadle himself thought it was strange.
“thanks, well wishers. sorry, haters. agreed, [shrug emoji]ers. i don’t really get it either,” Cheadle tweeted. “buuuuuuuuuut on we go”