Don Cheadle has been a part of the MCU since Iron Man 2, and with his own series coming in Armor Wars, he may first appear in Secret Invasion.
Don Cheadle has played James Rhodes aka War Machine in the MCU since Iron Man 2 and made his most recent appearance in a surprise cameo appearance in the Disney+ series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, one that earned him a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series at the Emmy Awards despite him only being on-screen for a few minutes. Now it looks like his next MCU outing will be part of the Samuel L. Jackson-led Secret Invasion series, which is coming close to wrapping filming in the U.K.
James Rhodes was initially played by Terrence Howard in Iron Man, before Don Cheadle took over the role in the sequel. While Howard was cast by Jon Favreau because he believed he would be able to carry off the War Machine character that Rhodes would become in Iron Man 2 and beyond, an alleged pay dispute led to Cheadle being cast in the role instead and he has continued to play the character since, appearing in Iron Man 3 and all of the Avengers movies from Age of Ultron. He is also set to get his own Disney+ series, Armor Wars, which is where his appearance in Secret Invasion is thought to be leading,
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Secret Invasion is still thought to be arriving on Disney+ later this year and will see Jackson’s Nick Fury taking the lead for the first time in a story that sees the alien race of Skrulls having infiltrated and taken over the appearance of many people on Earth. Although the plot is currently being kept secret, new images from the set have given a glimpse at a prop newspaper that features Rhodes meeting with the MCU’s President Ritson, and while this is not a straight-up confirmation that Cheadle will have a significant role in the series, his character does appear in the comic book arc it is based on, and it would also be a timely reminder of War Machine ahead of the Armor Wars series.
Don Cheadle’s Appearance In Secret Invasion Could Follow One of Two Storylines
As with many things Marvel, there are several ways that War Machine could feature in the series. Having already had a short cameo in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, it is very likely that Cheadle is open to more TV appearances within the MCU, and that could be all his role in Secret Invasion is – a cameo just to remind people that he is still around and, as Marvel does frequently, set him up for his own series.
However, there is also the possibility that Rhodes could include the comic book storyline in which Rhodes is informed via a pre-recorded message from Tony Stark that his War Machine suit has been separated from all other Stark Technology so the Skrulls could not take over it and infect it with their disabling virus. Rhodes is then given instructions on how to make a giant War Machine suit from a space satellite, which he uses in the fight against the Skrulls.
We know that Secret Invasion is going to be a return to the action-packed drama that has been the signature of many movies in the MCU, and Don Cheadle’s involvement would be both a reminder of the character’s past as well as his future, and who knows, it could even set him up for another Emmy Award nomination next year.
Samuel L. Jackson Is ‘Back on the Attack’ as Secret Invasion Begins Filming
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Anthony Lund
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Anthony Lund is an author, songwriter and puppeteer from a small village in the U.K. with an avid love of all genres of TV and film. As well as keeping up with the lastest entertainment news and writing about it for MovieWeb, he works as a video editor, voice over artist and production designer. A child of the 80s, he is the owner of almost 2000 books, more toys than his children, three Warner Bros. Store Gremlins and a production used Howard The Duck movie script.
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