Summary
The MCU is currently building to anArmor Warsmovie, but with James Rhodes’War Machinein the central role (played by Don Cheadle.) Robert Downey Jr’s exit from the Marvel moviesmakesArmor Warsa major question mark, howeverthe ongoingInvincible Iron Mancomics just showed exactly how the movies can put a Rhodey-centric twist on this iconic story.
InTheInvincible Iron Man #19by Gerry Duggan and Andrea Di Vito,War Machine assembles a team of villains, arming them with Tony Stark’s recently acquired arsenal of advanced weapons, armor and gadgets. Rhodey needs back-up to take on the evil billionaire Feilong, who commands gigantic’Stark Sentinels' created using Tony’s stolen designs. Thanks to the backing of Sandman and the Living Laser, Marvel’s villains agree to a onetime alliance, taking on Orchis after being armed by Rhodey.
Feilong recently framed Rhodey for murder, getting him locked up on false charges. Rhodey became a target in prison and endured some serious beatings until Tony did what he could, enlisting the help of Sandman and the Living Laser. It was an unlikely partnership, but one that gave Rhodey the inspiration to enlist Marvel’s villains once he was able to break free.
War Machine Arms Marvel’s Villain with Stark Tech
Armor Wars Can’t Adapt the Original Comic, But This Is the Next Best Thing
Shortly after his escape, Rhodey ends up at theBar With No Name, a violence-free drinking spot for villains looking to relax. Enticing the criminals with a chance to play with a secret weapons cache, the entire bar rallies together, agreeing to play by Rhodey’s rules. The comic then flashes forward, confirming thatSandman, Living Laser, War Machine and Iron Man will continue this alliance in the near future, creating a new hero/villain team on the West Coast(possibly a new version of the Force Works team.)
While generally a villain, Sandman spent ashort amount of time on the Avengersafter being recruited by Captain America. He has maintained good relations with some heroes ever since, especially Fantastic Four’s Thing.
Iron Man’s New Armor Is a Groundbreaking Reimagining “Unlike Anything Seen In His 60-Year History” (According to Marvel)
As a new era begins for Tony Stark, Iron Man debuts a new suit known as the “Improvised Iron Man” - a modular suit that will continually evolve.
War Machine Can Flesh Out the MCU’s Villains by Recruiting Them
The Stark Sentinels Corrupting Tony’s Legacy Is Armor Wars in All But Name
The originalArmor Warssees Iron Man discover that various heroes and villains have made use of designs he never wanted to make public. This results in a solo mission where he takes on several villains and even some heroes, destroying or disabling what he considers stolen tech.The darkest part of thisArmor Warsis Tony putting his own desires over the safety of others, including allies- something that just won’t have the same meaning if Rhodey is defending his friend’s legacy.
However, recent issues ofInvincible Iron Manhave provideda different, far more effective blueprint - a billionaire villain uses stolen designs to create weapons of death out of Tony’s design, and War Machine takes them down by arming more reasonable villains with Iron Man’s tech. Not only is this a true ‘war,’ but it deals with the same themes of redemption as Tony’s MCU arc, while also giving the MCU a chance to flesh out some of its villains beyond one-time threats.
This version ofArmor Warscould bring back old foes like Whiplash, Justin Hammer, Vulture and Mac Gargan (aka the comic Scorpion) with new armor, giving each of them an Iron Man-quality upgrade. Hopefully, the MCU takes notice of the current comics, because the events ofInvincible Iron Manoffer a new take on theArmor Warsconcept ideal for where the movie universe currently finds itself.
Armor Wars
Cast
Initially conceived as a Disney+ series, Armor Wars is an MCU movie centered on Rhodey Rhodes' mission to honor Tony Stark’s legacy and keep his Iron Man technology from wreaking havoc when they fall into the wrong hands. Starring Don Cheadle as War Machine, Marvel Studios' Armor Wars adapts the eponymous comic book storyline to the big screen in the Multiverse Saga.
