Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Secret Invasion Episode 4.At the end of episode 3, A secret invasion teased the possibility that James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) was replaced by a Skrull. Episode 4 seals the deal by revealing that Rhodey is now disguised by a shape-shifting alien working with Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) to start World War III and make the world a nuclear wasteland. Since the Skrulls are immune to radioactivity, the aliens can claim the planet for themselves. All they have to do is encourage countries to act on their existing hatred of each other. While not everyone might be a fan of Rhodey becoming a Skrull, it makes sense for Gravik to have a spy in one of the most important offices in the United States. Additionally, Episode 4 created some exciting storytelling possibilities for Island WarThe upcoming Marvel Studios film focuses on Cheadle’s war machine.
What do we know about ‘Island War’ so far?
Island War was released in 2020 as a Disney+ series focusing on War Machine, Rhodey’s superhero character. While Marvel Studios likes to keep it a secret, the series title comes from the comic book storyline where Tony Stark must hunt down all the supervillains who use the design of his revolutionary armor to create dangerous weapons. Since the MCU’s Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) sacrifice himself in Avengers: EndgameWe can expect War Machine to fill his friend’s shoes to retrieve Stark technology that has fallen into the wrong hands.
While we can only guess the actual plot of the MCU Island War, last year, Marvel Studios announced that it was working on the new project as a theatrical release. So, instead of a series limited to six episodes, Island War Now is a movie with a big budget, which means we can expect other heroes to join Rhodey in the crusade against crime. Most of the MCU projects after Avengers: Endgame has been an ensemble film, making it fair to assume that it is true to War Machine’s first adventure as a leading hero. So, while everything is uncertain for now, it is possible Dominique Thorne Will star as Riri Williams, Stark’s successor in the comic books that recently debuted in the MCU Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
‘Rhodey Twist’s Secret Invasion Shifts Focus of ‘Island Wars’
While Rhodey has been part of the MCU since the launch of 2008 Iron man, the character was in the shadow of Tony Stark. As the years passed, Rhodey became more and more himself until he finally stood as an equal in the events of Avengers: Endgame. So, we all expected Island War To close Rhodey’s character by allowing him to reflect on the destructive power of Stark Industries’ technology and the responsibility those who wear it bear. Of course, it creates an immediate conflict with Rhodey’s position as a lieutenant colonel operating under the US military hierarchy – because, at some point, he will be forced to choose between being a hero or being a soldier.
While all of that could feed into a good MCU plot, A secret invasionRhodey’s twist changed our expectations dramatically Island War. That’s because, now that we know that the Skrull was disguised as Rhodey, we are forced to ask where the human hero is and how long he has been trapped in Gravik’s mental cells. Since the Skrulls are shapeshifters who specialize in deception, there is no telling which Rhodey we saw in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier It’s a skull. In fact, Rhodey could have been replaced by a Skrull way before, with the real James Rhodes absent from most of the events of the Infinity Saga.
Some evidence in A secret invasion Point out that Gravik was playing the long game with his rebellion. For example, in Episode 4, we learn that Nick Fury’s (Samuel L. Jackson) wife, Varra/Priscilla (Charlayne Woodard), worked for Gravik throughout. Furthermore, while Varra is truly in love with Fury, she chooses to disguise herself as Priscilla to get closer to the spy. And since Fury and Varra have been together at least since the invasion of New York, which happened in 2012, it goes without saying that the Skrull has been impersonating Rhodey for all those years.
Regardless of when a Skrull replaces Rhodey, a true war machine is about to awaken in a world he doesn’t know about. Maybe he lost a few months of his life, or maybe even a few years. In any case, Rhodey will be confronted with the fact that others are using his face to spread chaos in the world – and if Island War Deciding to let Rhodey clean up his own Skrull mess, the upcoming film will also have a way of honoring Tony Stark’s legacy.
Rhodey’s ‘Armor Wars’ arc could honor Tony Stark’s legacy
In both the comic books and the MCU, Tony Stark is presented as a narcissist who realizes the damage he is causing and decides to use his wisdom for good. That’s the topic of Island War, in which Stark risks his reputation to make sure no villain can use Stark tech. Similarly, when Rhodey wakes up from a deep sleep, he may realize that his Skrull impersonator has used the War Machine armor to create a new weapon around the world – and if that’s the case, Rhodey will have every reason to fight the US Army and retrieve the lost. Technology.
Since the announcement of Island WarWe know what happened after that A secret invasion, and it is deeply connected to the Skrull Rebellion. Now we have a clearer idea of how the two projects might be related. Better yet, the upcoming movie will have the perfect excuse to give Rhodey one of the best Iron Man stories in the comics, letting War Machine follow a similar path to his friend.
As much as we enjoy superpowers and epic battles, the best MCU productions are those with strong minds. So far, Rhodey lacks moral challenges, and simply following military orders is not interesting enough. However, thanks to this Skrull impersonator, Island War could rewrite the history of the MCU and make War Machine one of the most influential heroes, willing to risk his military career to do the right thing.
The new episode of A secret invasion Premieres every Wednesday on Disney+.
