Marvel star Don Cheadle, who is set to return to the MCU as James “Rhodey” Rhodes in Secret Invasion on Disney Plus, has shed some light on rumors he is set to take up the Iron Man mantle.
Following the death of Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame, some fans are wondering whether Tony’s close friend Rhodey could be stepping out of the War Machine armor and into an Iron Man suit, just as his comic book counterpart once did.
Don Cheadle’s Rhodey looks set to have a larger role in the MCU moving forward, appearing in both Secret Invasion and as the lead of Armor Wars, so it’s understandable to see many fans expecting him to take on the mantle of the MCU’s most popular hero.
Will Rhodey Take Up Tony Stark’s Mantle?
Speaking to Extra in an interview at D23 Expo, Don Cheadle addressed the question of whether Rhodey might step into Tony Stark’s shoes and become the MCU’s new Iron Man.
Cheadle claimed not to have heard any rumors of Rhodey taking over as Iron Man, saying “It’s the first I’ve heard of that, so I guess no comment.” When pressed further, he said he couldn’t see Rhodey taking over from Tony and attempting to take on the title of Iron Man.
Saying he felt “Rhodey is his own dude,” Don Cheadle said:
“I don’t know. I mean I think that Rhodey is his own dude. I don’t think that anyone can really step into this… Tony Stark, Iron Man shoes. I think he did that as well as anyone could ever do it. But I think we’re going to learn a lot more about what Rhodey does want, and who he is, and what his sort of place in the firmament of MCU will ultimately be. I honestly don’t know that much more than you know.”
Given Robert Downey Jr.’s beloved turn as Iron Man, it is understandable that Don Cheadle wouldn’t want to try to take over the title. Rhodey and Tony Stark have always operated a little differently and, while Rhodey spent time as Iron Man in the comics, it sounds like he may be sticking to his own path as War Machine in the MCU.
Here is the synopsis for Secret Invasion:
“Secret Invasion” is a newly announced series heading to Disney+ that stars Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as the Skrull Talos—characters who first met in “Captain Marvel.” The crossover event series showcases a faction of shape-shifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating Earth for years.
The series is created by Kyle Bradstreet and stars Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Cobie Smulders, Martin Freeman, Don Cheadle, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Olivia Colman, Emilia Clarke, Killian Scott, Christopher McDonald, and Carmen Ejogo.
Secret Invasion is set to premiere on Disney Plus in Spring 2023. Stay tuned for all the latest news on the upcoming series, and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.
Source: Extra
