Credit: Marvel StudiosDon Cheadle has been Iron Man’s sidekick Rhodey (aka War Machine) since Iron Man 2 (201) when he replaced Terrence Howard in the role.
He started out as Tony Stark’s more down-to-earth, by-the-book friend before being offered the War Machine suit and stepping into his own superhero role. He’s since appeared in seven of the 32 Marvel movies and a few of the Disney+ series. Most recently, he’s set to appear in Secret Invasion, which has currently released three of its six episodes for Season 1.
Apparently, however, Cheadle will not be donning the War Machine armor for the series, but instead has “a new role in this one,” according to the actor. Our very first scene is Rhodey and Nick Fury locking horns. Rhodey isn’t an adversary, but he’s being more adversarial than they have been before,” he explained to Empire Magazine.
Rhodey has often been portrayed as a military man, reluctant to go up against the government at Tony’s request, but often loyally following his friend into battle. Cheadle confirmed that fans will see a different side of him in Secret Invasion as he struggles to decide which path he’ll follow.
Other than Rhodey, the show isn’t expected to have too many other major cameos, focusing instead on Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders’ Maria Hill as they work to prevent an invasion by the alien Skrull race. The Skrulls were first introduced in Captain Marvel (2019), with it being hinted that Nick Fury became one himself.
Don Cheadle is expected to return as War Machine in Armor Wars, focusing on Rhodey’s role as the Avenger. Not much else is known about the project, including when it might be released. Captain America: Brave New World is set to release sometime next year with Anthony Mackie donning the star-spangled suit and shield.
What do you think Rhodey’s role in Secret Invasion will be? Share your ideas in the comments below!