Terrence Howard has slammed reports he pulled out of a planned sequel to superhero blockbuster Iron Man over a pay row - insisting he was snubbed by movie bosses.
U.S. reports suggest Robert Downey Jr. will return as Iron Man/Tony Stark and Gwyneth Paltrow will be back as Pepper Potts, but Howard will sit out the project.
The part was rumoured to have been offered to Ocean's Eleven star Don Cheadle after Howard demanded too much money to reprise his role as Iron Man's best pal Jim Rhodes in the 2010 sequel.
But the star insists the news came as a shock to him - because he was mid-negotiations when the role was taken away from him.
He tells America's NPR radio, "It was the surprise of a lifetime. There was no explanation. (The contract) just... up and vanished.
"I read something in the trade (publications) implicating that it was about money or something, but apparently the contracts that we write and sign aren't worth the paper that they're printed on, sometimes."
He adds, "Promises aren't kept, and good faith negotiations aren't always held up."(IMDB)
