Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Marvel’s Secret Invasion
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Summary Rhodey has been replaced by a Skrull impostor since the events of Civil War, missing out on major events in the MCU such as the Battle of Wakanda and the Blip.
The real Rhodey is unaware of Tony Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame and the funeral that followed, as he has been in stasis the entire time.
Nick Fury, despite his Skrull experience and being a paranoid superspy, did not know about Rhodey being a Skrull until the events of Secret Invasion, raising questions about his awareness and involvement.
Marvel’s Secret Invasion finale confirms the darkest theory about Rhodey (Don Cheadle) and the events of Avengers: Endgame. Following the reveal that Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes had been replaced by a shape-shifting Skrull impostor, the primary point of curiosity became exactly when War Machine was replaced. Now, Secret Invasion episode 6 has seemingly confirmed the tragic truth and its major implications.
As seen in Secret Invasion episode 4, it was officially confirmed that Rhodey was indeed a Skrull, having maneuvered into a position within the White House as an advisor to US President Ritson (Dermot Mulroney). As such, it was this Skrull impostor’s job to help motivate conflict between the US and Russia in a bid to incite all-out nuclear war to help Skrulls end humanity and claim Earth as their own. However, Secret Invasion’s finale episode has seemingly confirmed just how long the real Rhodey has been out of commission in the MCU.
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Secret Invasion Strongly Suggests Rhodey Was Replaced After Civil War
Unlike all the other humans who were held captive and replaced by Skrulls, the real Rhodey is seen wearing a hospital gown. As Rhodey is freed by Talos’ daughter Gi’ah (Emilia Clarke), she confirms that the Avenger has been in stasis for quite a long time. Rhodey’s legs are also inoperable due to the spinal injury he sustained in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, notably not having the leg braces he received afterward. As a result, the implication to be made is that Rhodey was replaced by a Skrull while he was still in the hospital, 9 years before the events of Marvel’s Secret Invasion.
Naturally, there are massive ramifications with this reveal suggesting that Rhodes’ War Machine was actually a shape-shifting alien for nearly a full decade in the MCU. It means the real Rhodey missed not only the Battle of Wakanda featured in Avengers: Infinity War but also the five-year Blip that followed. Additionally, the far darker consequence of this reveal is that the real Rhodey must have also missed the events of Avengers: Endgame, an incredibly dark and tragic twist considering the fate of Tony Stark’s Iron Man (Rhodey’s best friend).
Rhodey Doesn’t Know Tony Stark Is Dead
If Rhodey has indeed been replaced by a Skrull since Civil War, it means that he should have no memory of the last two Avengers movies. This is particularly tragic considering the death of Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame, having sacrificed himself to defeat Thanos and the Mad Titan’s army using the Infinity Stones. The real Rhodey more than likely has no idea that his best friend died nor that there was a funeral as seen at the end of the 2019 film, (in which the Skrull impostor was apparently present posing as Rhodey).
This incredibly dark reveal was a popular theory before Secret Invasion’s finale. However, some were skeptical due to the massive destruction being replaced for so long would have on Rhodey’s arc in the MCU, effectively robbing him of his own role in the last two Avengers films while also taking away his ability to grieve the loss of Tony. That said, the confirmation of this tragic twist has now made Rhodey’s future Armor Wars movie incredibly compelling as it will undoubtedly need to unpack the complex emotions War Machine will be feeling once he gets caught up on everything he missed while a captive of the Skrulls.
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How Did Fury Miss Rhodey Was A Skrull After Endgame?!
One of the biggest surprises to come out of this reveal is that Nick Fury seemingly didn’t know the truth about Rhodey being a Skrull until the events of Secret Invasion itself. One has to wonder why Fury wasn’t aware of Rhodey’s true nature following the events of Avengers: Endgame. After all, he does have the most Skrull experience in the MCU out of any other human on Earth. Combined with his history as a paranoid superspy, it certainly seems as though Fury would have been able to figure it out, having had years before and after the Blip to potentially recognize something off about Rhodey.
That being said, Secret Invasion does confirm that Fury spent the majority of his time off-world following the Blip, running the space station known as SABER which will be featured in the upcoming MCU movie The Marvels. Perhaps Fury was simply too busy to recognize the truth about Rhodey until the events of Marvel’s Secret Invasion show. Either way, it’s remarkable that Marvel Studios has seemingly confirmed the darkest and most tragic theory fans had regarding Rhodey’s Skrull status in the MCU.