The death of Tony Stark aka Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame was a heart-wrenching moment not just for the Avengers, but also for every Marvel fan across the globe. With his demise, the talisman of the Avengers ensemble played by the charismatic Robert Downey Jr., left a lot of his colleagues grappling with the realities of their future.
While most of the superheroes furthered their narratives through the reprisal of their roles in Phase 4 of the MCU, a few key characters closely connected to Iron Man faded into the background. James Rhodes popularly known as Rhodey played by Don Cheadle, appeared briefly in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Secret Invasion, but was not seen in his famous armor in both the shows. An interesting theory regarding the War Machine not suiting up, could shed more light on the reason.
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Why Is Marvel’s War Machine Reluctant To Suit Up After Iron Man’s Death?
Iron Man’s death changed a lot of things permanently within the MCU and among the Avengers. One character closely connected to Tony Stark was Marvel’s James Rhodes, a skilled pilot and Stark’s trusted confidante and ally who gets his own Iron Man armor and takes on the alias of War Machine. Rhodey as he is popularly known, has been an integral part of the Avengers’ quest to destroy Thanos.
With Iron Man’s death in Avengers: Endgame signaling a brand new Phase in the MCU’s vast narrative thread, many Marvel characters evolved with their individual stories taking centerstage. Rhodey though, who made his presence felt briefly in The Falcon and the Winter Solider and Secret Invasion, was not seen suiting up as War Machine in either of the shows.
An interesting theory by Screen Rant discusses the reasons behind the War Machine’s reluctance to suit up after Avengers: Endgame. Marvel buffs will know through earlier references in Iron Man films, that these suits needed to be constantly updated over consistent periods. This can be controlled only by the technical expertise of Tony Stark and Stark Enterprises.
In case of any damage, James Rhodes will be well aware that he is ill-equipped to fix the War Machine armor in the absence of Iron Man. Therefore as per the theory, the Marvel superhero could possibly want to use the armor when it is absolutely necessary or in a situation of emergency.
Secret Invasion Director’s Rhodey-Skrull Theory Is Through The Roof
With or without his armor, the character of James Rhodes aka Rhodey played by Don Cheadle is creating quite a stir after his appearance in Secret Invasion. The first big reveal involving the Marvel hero came in Episode 4 when audiences realized that he was actually a shape-shifting Skrull. Following this shocking twist, fans began to analyze the various MCU timelines to figure out when exactly the War Machine turned rogue.
Secret Invasion director Ali Selim created a huge stir by revealing sensational details regarding the exact moment when Rhodey was taken over by the Skrull. While the director did not openly confirm theories that went as far back as Captain America: Civil War, he teased viewers with Rhodey’s hospital scene in the film in an interview with the Insider, and said,
“I think that it’s gonna be a lot of fun for fans to unpack as they revisit all the Rhodey moments since the “Captain America” moment when he was in the hospital, and to see how they feel about it. I don’t know if I wanna say it’s definitive or not definitive, but I think Rhodey has been a Skrull a lot longer than we suspected.”
If James Rhodes had indeed been taken over by a Skrull as far back as Selim indicates, it would then mean that the Marvel superhero would have been a shape-shifting alien for majority of the decade-long MCU events. This is a mind-blowing fact to take in, considering his loyalty to the Avengers and Tony Stark which now takes on a completely different turn. With Marvel’s Armor Wars in the works, fans could finally get a definite answer regarding the fate of War Machine.
Secret Invasion is streaming on Disney+.
