Joss Whedon, known for unceremoniously killing off fan favorite characters in his projects, already struck a blow at the Marvel Cinematic Universe once by killing off Phil Coulson in The Avengers after swearing up and down that he wouldn't go that route. Of course this action was undone with the release of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but it goes to show that Joss hasn't lost his cruelty towards supporting characters who have never wronged him before.
Now, lets go over the latest Avengers: Age of Ultron info graciously given to us by Entertainment Weekly. The publication described a scene which was previously leaked by El Mayimbe (why do you guys STILL doubt this man?) in which the Avengers kick it back at the Avengers Tower in New York City following their battle with Baron Von Strucker in the opening sequence. Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Black Widow, Clint Barton (Hawkeye), James Rhodes (War Machine), and Thor are having a cocktail party filled with sushi platters as Thor's hammer is laid out on a table and various team members attempt to pick it up in drunken stupor.
Suddenly... DUN DUN DUN, Ultron, a megalomaniacal A.I. accidentally unleashed by Tony Stark attacks the party with his own version of the Iron Legion from Iron Man 3. A massive firefight breaks out. Presumably, the heroes hold their ground and manage to barely beat back the forces of Ultron. Nothing that heart breaking right? That's where you're WRONG, considering this is the second film in the series, customarily the darkest chapter. This why I say that Don Cheadle is gonna have to find a new starring vehicle to pay the bills.
Yup, I believe that after the firefight, Rhodey will be as dead as Dak Ralter from The Empire Strikes Back. No mercy from the merciless god Joss Whedon. There aren't any Iron Man movies in the forseeable future, and with the Avengers team not really having room for what is essentially Iron Man with a cooler color scheme, War Machine will be fodder for the personal angle needed for Tony's character arc in this film. Its gonna tear Tony up that he was responsible for creating the machine that killed his best friend. Now that they have Sam Wilson, who is rumored to be added to the Avengers lineup and was reportedly sighted on set, the general movie going audience can't throw out "they can't kill the only black guy" card.
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