Kevin Feige has just wiped out six years of MCU continuity with the release of the Disney+ Secret Invasion series.
Warning: Spoilers follow.
Secret Invasion has revealed that James Rhodes had been replaced by a Skrull, as the final episode showed Rhodey awakening from his Skrull slumber.
Everett Ross was also “asleep” and questioned Rhodey, “How long have you been in here?” (Ross’ question is odd as it implies that Ross somehow knows he hasn’t been asleep as long as Rhodey.)
Eagle-eyed fans immediately spotted that Rhodey happened to be wearing the hospital gown that he wore in Captain America: Civil War when he underwent testing for his spinal injury.
So has James Rhodes been a Skrull all along? Since Captain America: Civil War?
The answer comes from the director of the Secret Invasion series, Ali Selim.
While Selim was also asked the question by Insider and didn’t give a definitive answer, Ali Selim answered Variety with the confirmation:
Tell me about Don Cheadle playing Raava and “Rhodey.” It’s mentioned that Col. Rhodes has been held captive “for a long time.” Was the hospital gown he’s wearing when Rhodey is rescued a hint that the Skrulls kidnapped him after his spinal cord injury in “Captain America: Civil War?”
Yep.
Worth a mention is that Ali Selim didn’t write Secret Invasion, and offered the end battle with the Skrulls using the MCU superpowers came from Kevin Feige, so most likely James Rhodes being replaced by a Skrull (and a female one in that, too) since Captain America: Civil War probably came from Feige as well.
So what does that mean about Rhodey and the MCU?
What it means for James Rhodes is that everything following Captain America: Civil War to Secret Invasion is that it hasn’t been Rhodes but a darn and dirty Skrull all along.
So that means it wasn’t James Rhodes in Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel, The Avengers: Endgame, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
That also means it isn’t James Rhodes in Avengers: Endgame who first comes to the side of Tony Stark who died after saving the universe.
The reveal is quite shocking for MCU fans who have been debating exactly when Rhodey got replaced.
Some fans have been arguing about the scene in Endgame that shows Rhodey with red blood, but the counter to that is Skrulls only bleed purple when they die.
How about the timing?
Secret Invasion revealed that Gravik turned on Fury after Endgame following Fury sending the team of Skrulls post-Endgame to collect the blood. So why years prior would the Skrulls replace Rhodey? Maybe Gravik’s plan started prior to Fury sending them in to collect the blood and “The Harvest” was just a bonus?
What does it mean for the real James Rhodes?
Since James Rhodes has been replaced in the MCU since Civil War, as seen in the Secret Invasion footage, it may mean his back is still injured. If so, this seems to be a nod to the comics where Tony Stark is paralyzed which ties into Armor Wars II.
Don Cheadle is going to star in the Armor Wars movie, so obviously (hopefully?) Rhodey getting replaced by a Skrull and missing years of MCU history – especially the death of Tony – will be dealt with — including that Rhodey has no idea about Thanos, no idea about Thanos killing the Avengers in Infinity War, or The Snap, or The Blink, or fighting Thanos, or traveling back in time for the Infinity Stones, or again, the death of his best friend, Tony Stark.
