Iron Man’s death in Avengers: Endgame served as one of the most emotional moments in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, Secret Invasion director Ali Selim is worried he’ll get death threats for potentially “ruining” the moment due to a revelation about Don Cheadle’s James “Rhodey” Rhodes.
Readers beware! The following article contains spoilers for Secret Invasion. Continue at your own risk!
Secret Invasion has served to be one of the most controversial projects in the MCU. One of the largest reasons for this was the reveal that Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes was a Skrull. While the Disney Plus series didn’t confirm when he became a Skrull, director Ali Selim says that he personally believes he was replaced after Captain America: Civil War. This has led Selim to joke about having to go into hiding, worried that he’ll receive death threats because Rhodey may have been a Skrull during Iron Man’s death in Avengers: Endgame. Though the director also clarified not even Cheadle knows when Rhodey became a Skrull:
“No, he never asked me that. He’s a great collaborator. He was a detailed, logical guy who would not say, ‘How long have I been … ?’ But he would say, ‘Let me tell you why I could’ve been, and let me tell you why I couldn’t have been,'” Selim told The Hollywood Reporter. “Which is an interesting way to get at his character. So I would say this to anybody, but go back and visit all of the Rhodey scenes in the MCU and see how you unpack it now that you have a slightly different perspective on Rhodey or Skrull. But I don’t know that there’s a definitive answer. I think it’s still open to interpretation.”
Despite being left open to interpretation, the idea that James Rhodes missed the death of his best friend in Avengers: Endgame ruined Secret Invasion for many fans. It’s certain that, even if Ali Selim doesn’t have an answer, the MCU will have to reckon with the Skrull reveal next time Rhodey appears, likely in Armor Wars. So for now, it’s unclear if Selim truly did ruin Tony Stark’s death.
How Marvel is adapting Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion is based on the comic book storyline of the same name, which was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu. The story revolves around a group of Skrulls, an alien race that has the ability to shape-shift and take on the appearance of anyone they want. The Skrulls have infiltrated Earth’s society and are secretly replacing key figures with their own kind in order to take over the planet.
The full Secret Invasion cast also includes Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill, Kingsley Ben-Adir as Gravik, Emilia Clarke as G’iah, Don Cheadle as James “Rhodey” Rhodes and Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross. Olivia Colman, Dermot Mulroney, Killian Scott, Christopher McDonald, Carmen Ejogo and Charlayne Woodard are also on board in undisclosed roles.
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