It’s a strange position for Rhodey, especially considering Cheadle was one of the stronger parts of Secret Invasion. The series received plenty of criticism, but Cheadle delivered an entertaining performance both as James Rhodes and the Skrull secretly impersonating him.The bigger problem is what Secret Invasion actually did with Rhodey. By the end of the series, the Skrull posing as Rhodes is killed, while the real Rhodey is discovered imprisoned in a pod and eventually rescued. He’s unable to walk and appears to have been held captive for quite some time.Exactly how long is where things get messy. Secret Invasion never clearly established when Rhodey was replaced by the Skrull. That uncertainty raised all kinds of questions about which previous MCU appearances actually featured the real James Rhodes and which may have featured the imposter.The series also ended without a post-credits scene pointing Rhodey toward his next adventure. Since then, the MCU has largely avoided dealing with the events of Secret Invasion, leaving one of Marvel’s longest-running characters sitting in a weird bit of franchise limbo.That makes the new report easier to believe, even if it hasn’t been confirmed. There have previously been rumors that Cheadle could return as War Machine in Avengers: Doomsday, which would certainly be an appropriate place to bring Rhodey back into the action. Marvel, however, hasn’t provided any substantial indication that Cheadle is involved with the film.It’s an unfortunate turn for a character who once appeared to have a much bigger MCU story ahead of him. Rhodey has been around since the earliest days of the franchise, with Cheadle taking over the role in Iron Man 2 and continuing through some of Marvel’s biggest movies.There’s still plenty of opportunity for Marvel to bring War Machine back, especially with the MCU continuing to expand and the Avengers heading toward another massive conflict. For now, though, fans hoping for answers about Rhodey may have to keep waiting.After everything Secret Invasion left unresolved, it would be pretty disappointing if Marvel simply moved on without giving James Rhodes a proper next chapter. War Machine deserves better than disappearing into the MCU void.
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