Don Cheadle Teases Troubled Marvel Film May Save Secret Invasion

Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been eagerly awaiting the return of the true James “Rhodey” Rhodes, portrayed by Don Cheadle. In the miniseries Secret Invasion, which did not receive the warmest reception, it was revealed that a shapeshifting Skrull named Raava had been posing as Rhodey for a significant period. The show’s director, Ali Selim, later confirmed that Rhodey was abducted by Raava and her Skrull allies shortly after he sustained his spinal injury during the events of 2016’s Captain America: Civil War.

This revelation has sparked intense debate among MCU fans. Many were unsettled to learn that the emotional scenes involving Rhodes mourning his close friend Tony Stark at the end of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame were not really authentic. Despite this twist, Don Cheadle appears to embrace the direction the story is taking—provided Marvel Studios stays true to the original intentions for Rhodey’s character.

Cheadle discussed his feelings about the plot in an interview with TV Line. He clarified that the storyline wasn’t forced upon him; instead, it was a request to pivot towards future developments. The “future” he referred to is likely Armor Wars, a project that many fans have been anticipating.

Originally intended as one of Marvel’s many series on Disney+, Armor Wars was shifted to a feature film after the studio reevaluated its strategy in 2022. Unfortunately, information on the project has been scarce since its redevelopment announcement, leaving Cheadle as much in the dark as fans about its current status.

When pressed by TV Line for updates on Armor Wars, Cheadle humorously replied, “You can find out and let me know.” He acknowledged the uncertainty, stating, “I think things are going through a lot of changes, and we’ll see what happens.” When the interviewer pointed out that it would be disappointing if the last meaningful portrayal of Rhodey was as a Skrull impersonator, Cheadle wittily responded, “Yeah, no kidding.”

While the future of Armor Wars remains unclear, Cheadle is optimistic about how it could change perceptions regarding Rhodey’s storyline in Secret Invasion. “If the upcoming project actually occurs and ties everything together, that’s one thing. If it doesn’t, then we might need to reevaluate my feelings on it later!” he remarked.

For those interested, Secret Invasion is currently available for streaming on Disney+.