Marvel Cinematic Universe is ready to touch the action and spy thriller genres again with its upcoming live-action Disney+ series, Secret Invasion. We have already seen enough of Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos, Cobie Smulders’ Maria Hill, and many more characters in the show’s trailers. And the Marvel fanbase is curious and excited about these characters’ future in the superhero franchise. But one character is not gaining proper attention amidst the series’ hype, Colonel James Rhodes, aka War Machine, played by Don Cheadle.
Rhodey will serve as the right-hand man of the US President in the upcoming Marvel series. It means the odds of seeing him donning his outstanding War Machine suit in the show are slim to none. Jackson has hailed his character as “a political animal and not a guy with a special suit”.
If there’s one thing you should know about James Rhodes is that he is a soldier first and a hero later. It means his loyalty is commendable, and he can go to any lengths to ensure the greater good of the United States of America. He has partnered with Thaddeus Ross and completed several missions for him. In the Civil War (2016) events, he chose to be on Ross’ side instead of teaming up with Steve Rogers as he highly respected the rules and believed that Sokovia Accords was a necessary compromise to keep people safe from Avengers’ uncontrollable powers and actions. We have also seen the character in morally problematic situations in the MCU.
Secret Invasion could test Rhodes’ righteousness in unexpected ways. Being the president’s right-hand man means he is under The White House’s thumb. Also, we have not seen him wearing his War Machine or any of Stark Tech’s suits in the show’s clips. Perhaps, MCU is saving his suits for the Armor Wars series. This scenario resembles Steve Rogers’ condition in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). His superiors also told him to promote war bonds during World War II instead of using his abilities to fight against Hydra armies. Similarly, we could see the US government forcing Rhodey to stop Nick Fury instead of rebel Skrulls, who are trying to infiltrate and conquer the Earth.
The events of the Secret Invasion could change James Rhodes forever. He may finally realise that the world has changed and it needs a superhero instead of a soldier. He could transform himself into a full-time Avenger by cutting ties with the US government. Additionally, he could help other Avengers to take down Kang the Conqueror. Or he could decide to train new Avengers to prepare them for future threats. The upcoming Disney+ series will premiere on June 21. Stay tuned for more updates.
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