A new Marvel Studios update has caused concern that the MCU will be swiftly moving on from one of its best unresolved storylines, leaving the fate of the Armor Wars movie in jeopardy. Originally planned as a Disney+ series, Marvel Studios revealed back in September 2022 that Armor Wars would instead be reworked into a feature film. This was a positive sign for Don Cheadle’s James “Rhodey” Rhodes, a.k.a. the armored hero War Machine, but news concerning Armor Wars has been silent since this update two years ago.

Rhodey has been in the MCU since the very beginning, so it’s surprising that development of his first solo MCU movie has been so rocky. Originally played by Terrence Howard in Iron Man, Cheadle took over the role from 2010’s Iron Man 2 onward, and has been a part of some of Marvel’s biggest live-action storylines. Phase 4 marked a mᴀssive and controversial transformation for Rhodey, but a new update from current Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore has thrown doubt on whether Armor Wars will actually ever continue War Machine’s MCU story.

Armor Wars’ Status Just Got A Lot More Confusing

Marvel First Confirmed Armor Wars’ Development In December 2020

Even though nothing has been heard about Armor Wars’ development since September 2022, the project is presumably still in development behind the scenes of the MCU. Some have speculated, however, that Marvel could quietly shelve Armor Wars, and new comments from Nate Moore while speaking to Collider to promote Captain America: Brave New World could support this. Moore notes that, sometimes, Marvel must “slow down things that were on the front burner” to ensure quality, which implies Armor Wars has indeed become less of a priority.

You know, [Armor Wars is] not my project, to be honest. But, I do know, as Marvel [Studios] continues to go through this phase, we want to make sure whatever we’re making is awesome. So that means we had to slow down some things that were on the front burner. It doesn’t mean we’ll never make it, but it does mean we just have to be a little bit more considered so that every time out, audiences are guaranteed quality.

Now, it’s possible Nate Moore doesn’t know exactly what the future holds for Armor Wars, as he revealed back in December that he would be leaving Marvel Studios after working as a producer on Captain America: Brave New World and the upcoming Black Panther 3. Moore may not be privy to the inner workings of Armor Wars development anymore, though he is nevertheless a trustworthy source, so his comments put Armor Wars’ future in jeopardy. It would be a huge shame for Armor Wars to never come to fruition.

Rhodey’s Skrull Replacement Is The Only Good Thing Out Of Secret Invasion

Rhodey Was Replaced By A Skrull Sometime Before Secret Invasion

After making a cameo appearance in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Don Cheadle returned in 2023’s Secret Invasion, where Marvel revealed that he had entered the political arena as President Ritson’s advisor. However, Secret Invasion episode 4, “Beloved,” revealed that Rhodey had actually been replaced by the Skrull Raava at some point prior to the series. When Rhodey was woken up in Secret Invasion’s finale, he sported a hospital gown, prompting theories that he may have been switched following his accident in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War.

This would have a huge impact on Rhodey’s perspective in the MCU, as he would have missed the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, including the battle against Thanos, the five-year Blip and his best friend’s sacrifice. This plot thread was one of the strongest storylines in the otherwise disappointing Secret Invasion, and it deserves to be resolved. Armor Wars presented the perfect opportunity for Rhodey’s mindset to be explored in more detail and for some huge Skrull mysteries to be answered, but Nate Moore’s comments now cast doubt on this coming to pᴀss.

Armor Wars Shouldn’t Be On Marvel’s Backburner

Armor Wars Should Be More Of A Priority For Marvel Studios

It’s a shame to think that Armor Wars could be quietly forgotten by Marvel Studios. The movie would have put Don Cheadle front-and-center for the first time in the MCU, and his roles in projects such as H๏τel Rwanda, Miles Ahead and No Sudden Move prove he has the range to be a leading man. Beyond putting Cheadle center-stage and paying off Rhodey’s intriguing Secret Invasion storyline, however, Armor Wars was also going to be the perfect Iron Man legacy movie, as it takes its name from the seminal Tony Stark storyline from 1987 in Marvel Comics.

It would have been beautiful to see Rhodey’s War Machine travel the world reacquiring Stark technology from numerous villains, fighting to protect the legacy of his fallen friend. This would have been even more powerful if it was confirmed that Rhodey wasn’t actually present for Stark’s sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame. Armor Wars was also speculated to be bringing Sam Rockwell’s iconic fan-favorite villain, Justin Hammer, back to the MCU, and could have introduced many exciting new characters, so it really should not be on Marvel’s back-burner, and should instead be a huge priority for the MCU.

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