There are many reasons why Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man was popular; fantastic acting, cool visuals, and an endless amount of lovable sass. But one of the biggest was undoubtedly being able to appreciate the many different suits the hero is able to wear. However, with Tony Stark now dead, who will get to fill that role? Well, probably War Machine.
The character has had a small handful of suits through the years; his first appearance in Iron Man, his more patriotic Iron Patriot, a digital camo one used in Avengers: Infinity War, and his massive colorful suit in Endgame. But, for the most part, the character has had a similar look since he first debuted—he certainly didn’t have hundreds of suits like Tony did at one point and time.
Don Cheadle James Rhodes is next set to appear in 2023’s Secret Invasion. Shortly following that will be Armor Wars, with Rhodey front and center. Given the name of the series, should fans be expecting many more variants of his suits? Possibly some far for experimental ones?
Based on the press release for the upcoming Disney+ series, it sure seems that way.
Armor Wars Gives Rhodey the Goods
Following all of the many reveals at D23, Marvel Studios sent out a press release for everything they talked about on stage.
One of the key points to note, however, is hiding in Armor Wars’ description. According to them, it seems like Rhodey will be donning a few new suits within the event series:
“Rhodey fans will see the character in a whole new light, and considering the title of the series, audiences can look forward to all-new suits for the hero, featuring different types of armor. Title treatment is available to download and share.”
Sadly, it’s going to be a while before that show ever sees the light of day. However, the buildup to what’s going on in the series is set to begin next year when Secret Invasion airs.
While talking with Screenrant on D23’s red carpet, the star of Armor Wars, Don Cheadle, addressed the connectivity between his upcoming show and Samuel L. Jackson’s big Skrull-themed adventure.
Cheadle reassures that “they’re connected,” especially when it comes to what happens to his character in Secret Invasion’s six episodes:
“They’re connected. They’re connected. What happens for Rhodey is very connected. Actually, what happens in the entirety of the MCU, that starts in Secret Invasion and moves into Armor Wars, is connected.”
The outlet then asked him how the character may be feeling after the loss of Tony Stark, to which he responded, “I think we’re gonna find out how he’s doing.”
When Screenrant joked about how his character should be going to therapy, Cheadle jokingly noted that “Rhodey really has some reasons to go.”
Armor Wars Will, Surprisingly Have Lots of Armor
Fans are no doubt intrigued by the idea of Secret Invasion being so connected to Armor Wars. After all, there’s no clear reason why they would be, and Don Cheadle’s part to play is still very unclear.
When it comes to Armor Wars itself and Rhodey’s suits, it isn’t a surprise at all to learn that there will be multiple War Machine armors to show off. In fact, there’ll probably end up being dozens and dozens of Iron Man-esque suits—anyone who gets their hand on that technology will likely be going through many new super suits; maybe there’ll even be a proper war.
Another person fans should expect to see, alongside several new suit variants, would be Dominque Thorne’s Riri Williams. Her Ironheart character will first debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but given the nature of what her character gets into, Armor Wars seems like a natural place to pop up after her solo series debuts next year.
Sadly, Armor Wars does not currently have an estimated release window. So, it’ll be quite a bit before audiences get any glimpses at Don Cheadle’s new rides.
With there isn’t anything official yet, it’s probably safe to assume the show will land on Disney+ by the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024.
