Don Cheadle, the actor who plays War Machine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has teased that Disney+'s Secret Invasion series will set up an upcoming MCU movie. Cheadle's comments come after Marvel Studios labeled the series as the first "crossover event series," and Martin Freeman (Everett Ross actor) teased the number of characters crossing over with each other. With an immense cast of 12 new actors and a plot adapted from the game-changing comic event series, fans expect the Disney+ show to have an equally game-changing effect within the MCU.
When Don Cheadle recently spoke to Total Film about the Marvel Cinematic Universe's massive expansion, he couldn't contain his enthusiasm. The actor, who is set to reprise his role as James Rhodes/War Machine in the upcoming Armor Wars movie, revealed the link between Secret Invasion and the movie. Cheadle expressed his astonishment at the MCU's huge expansion and how it's now possible for characters to appear in one another's stories. He then revealed that part of Secret Invasion would kickstart what happens in Armor Wars.
"It’s bananas! And it’s very expansive. And obviously now that everyone can show up in everybody else’s story… I mean, I’m in 'Secret Invasion'. So I’m in Sam [Jackson]’s show. There’s a part of that, that kicks off what happens in Armor Wars," Cheadle said.
The Iconic Armor Wars Story Comes to Life in Upcoming MCU Film Starring Don Cheadle
The story of Armor Wars is one of the most iconic storylines in the entire franchise. Written by Bob Layton and David Michelinie and first featured in the seven-issue Iron Man #225-232, the story follows attempts to track down and reclaim Tony Stark's stolen technology that has fallen into the wrong hands. Don Cheadle recently revealed that the upcoming film would be adapted directly from the comic book series. Talking of the series, Cheadle said, "If you know anything about the lore, and you’ve read the comic books, you understand that it’s a series that was built around Tony’s Stark Tech getting out and Rhodey taking it on to get this tech back from the wrong hands, the bad actors whose hands it is in."
This means that fans of the comic books can expect to see a lot of the original story featured in the show. However, Cheadle also understands that Armor Wars won't be a direct adaptation of the comics and that the show will take some liberties with the story. This is in keeping with how other Marvel Cinematic Universe entries have gone in their own direction while respecting the source material.
Fans have truly yet to see how the loss of his best friend, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), has impacted Rhodey in recent years. His only post-Endgame appearance has come in a cameo in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, yet this new series sets the stage for a much deeper exploration of his character. And with his ties to Armor Wars, any development in Rhodey's character will be vital to the MCU.