The newly-concluded Disney Plus series Secret Invasion has retroactively changed many important details regarding the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The additions that Secret Invasion introduces include a re-contextualized moment shared by Tony Stark and James Rhodes during Stark’s heartbreaking death in Avengers: Endgame.
The moment meant a lot to fans as the two have been friends since the beginning of the MCU. However, Secret Invasion reveals that Rhodes has actually been replaced by a Skrull and that the real Rhodes has been absent since 2016. This means the last time we saw the character was in Captain America: Civil War – and the Rhodes we saw in Endgame was an imposter.
Obviously this changes how Secret Invasion viewers feel about the death of Tony Stark and his final moments with Rhodes. Because, as we know now, it wasn’t really Rhodes. It certainly feels like a disappointing way to look back on Stark’s final moments. And, as shared by Secret Invasion director Ali Selim to THR, he’s afraid of receiving death threats as a result.
Here’s what he shared:
“I’m worried that I will get death threats because of that, and also because I’m the guy who took out Maria Hill. So I’m actually going into hiding now.”
Additionally, however, he discusses actor Don Cheadle’s approach to the twist and that his duration as a Skrull is “open to interpretation.”
“[Don Cheadle’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,’ 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.“
So, while some fans are disappointed, it’s clear that Cheadle was happy to be onboard. Perhaps Marvel has an interesting plan ahead to win over fans on the matter. Otherwise, we’ll have to see if they try to rectify the situation in other ways. Ultimately, fans will now have to accept this twist as the MCU moves forward.
Secret Invasion is currently available to stream via Disney Plus. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates as we have them.