Many of the names left off the cast list for Avengers: Doomsday are quite puzzling to usOpens in a new tab. But perhaps none more than Don Cheadle as James “Rhodey” Rhodes, a.k.a. War Machine. The last time we saw his character was in the rather dismal Secret Invasion series on Disney+, where we learned he was replaced by a Skrull. And while an Armor Wars movie is on-again/off-again, it seems more “off again” lately. Is it even happening still at this point? Who knows. We firmly believe that not only does Rhodey deserve to come back properly, we also believe it’s time for him to officially become the MCU’s Iron Man.
In Marvel Comics, James Rhodes Was Iron Man Before He Was War Machine
In the comics, James Rhodes was the second hero to go by the name Iron Man. This was a decade before he was ever War MachineOpens in a new tab. Writer David Michelinie and artists John Byrne and Bob Layton were James Rhodes’ creators. He first appeared in Iron Man #118 in 1979 as a military pilot who works for Tony Stark. In the comics, he was a Marine, not a member of the Air Force like the MCU. Even though he was a new character, Marvel retconned him as an old buddy of Tony’s from the Vietnam War era. Their friendship would evolve and grow over the years, until he became firmly established as Tony’s longtime best friend.
In 1983, Marvel began a storyline where Tony became incapacitated due to a relapse with his alcoholism. Rhodes subsequently took over as Iron Man soon after. This storyline lasted quite some time, with Rhodey as Iron Man for a full two years. During the original Secret Wars event series,Opens in a new tab it was Rhodes in the Iron Man armor, not Tony. Very few of his fellow Avengers knew the truth about their teammate. He was even the CEO of Stark Industries for a good chunk of time. Eventually, he adopted his own separate armor and identity of War Machine in the ‘90s. But his heroic career began as Iron Man.
Tony Stark’s Death in Endgame Provided the Perfect Opportunity for Rhodey to Become Iron Man
In the MCU, Tony’s death in EndgameOpens in a new tab presented the perfect opportunity for James Rhodes to take up the mantle of Iron Man. What better way to honor his fallen friend? As it stands, War Machine is a very aggressive name for a superhero whose primary role is peacekeeper anyway. Instead of that logical outcome, we found out that Skrulls replaced Rhodey for who knows how longOpens in a new tab. And we don’t even know when it happened. Seemingly, this alien imposter Rhodey gave up superheroing for a career as a political advisor. Sorry, that’s just not as fun as superhero.
There are many reasons why Rhodey should step up and become Iron Man officially. For starters, we feel the MCU simply needs an Iron Man. The red and gold armor is iconic, as is the name. Iron Man is just a cooler, less Edgelord name than “War Machine.” As much as Sam Wilson earned the chance to be Captain America, Rhodey has earned the chance to be Iron Man. After all these years being Tony’s backup, he deserves to take up the mantle. And no one can say it’s not comics-accurate. Rhodey was Iron Man in the Marvel ComicsOpens in a new tab universe long before he was ever War Machine.
The MCU Needs a Hero Called “Iron Man”
It also provides great visual iconography for future films. Iron Man, the heroic legacy of Tony Stark, vs. Doctor Doom, who looks like (and is likely a variant of) Tony Stark? That would be amazing to see on screen. And it feels like way too good an opportunity to pass up for Marvel Studios. It’s likely the proposed Armor Wars movie was designed as a setup for James Rhodes to take over as Iron Man. But we don’t need to see him wrestle with taking over the legacy of Tony Stark for a whole film. We had a whole series of Sam Wilson doing something similar alreadyOpens in a new tab in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Just drop us into an MCU where not only is Rhodey Iron Man, but also leading (or co-leading) the Avengers.
James Rhodes Needs a Personal Life Outside of Being Tony’s Best Friend
It’s also high time Rhodey got some kind of a personal life. We also wouldn’t mind if he had a romantic fling with his longtime comic book love interest Carol Danvers, a.k.a. Captain Marvel. She is technically around his age, but she just doesn’t physically age due to her cosmic powers. However, the real-life age gap between Brie Larson and Don Cheadle would likely freak out the audience, so we doubt Marvel would go there. This is despite both actors being full-grown adults. The MCU missed an opportunity to have Rhodey and Carol know one another from their Air Force days, as they would have enlisted around the same time.
As of right now, Don Cheadle isn’t announced for a role in Avengers: Doomsday.Opens in a new tab But that doesn’t mean he’s not in Avengers: Secret Wars. We highly doubt that the MCU would end the Multiverse Saga without Rhodey coming back at least on one more occasion. And when he does, we hope to see him in the iconic gold and red armor of Iron Man. After eight appearances in the MCU (nine if you count the Terrance Howard version in the first Iron Man), he’s more than earned it.
