Armor Wars was originally planned as yet another Disney+ TV series, but Marvel Studios decided to shift gears and move forward with it as a movie instead. That suggests the stakes will be incredibly high, and we'd put money on War Machine being joined by Ironheart in the project (which is rumoured to be getting a new title).
Right now, Don Cheadle's Rhodey is the lead, though, and the actor has confirmed his upcoming role in Secret Invasion will be key to what we see in Armor Wars.
"It’s bananas! And it’s very expansive," the actor said of the way the MCU has grown since the Infinity Saga concluded. "And obviously now that everyone can show up in everybody else’s story...I mean, I’m in 'Secret Invasion'. So I’m in Sam [Jackson]’s show. There’s a part of that, that kicks off what happens in Armor Wars."
As for what fans can expect from War Machine in Armor Wars, Cheadle is clearly excited to better explore the character when he's not a supporting player to Iron Man and The Avengers.
"I don’t think we’ve ever really dug into him, and now it’s an opportunity to really explore his emotional life, his interior life, his relationships, his trajectory, where he wants to go, what his challenges are. Obviously, you have to pay off the Marvel stuff. And be in the lore of the mythology of the character and the MCU in general."
"But trying to really build out this character and make him a three-dimensional dude is what the goal [is]," the actor continues. "So I’m excited about that."
It's hard to say what in Secret Invasion will set the stage for Armor Wars, but the Department of Damage Control acquiring Tony Stark's tech is likely to be key, especially if the organisation has been infiltrated by Skrulls. With Ironheart reportedly introducing Obidiah Stane's son (played by Alden Ehrenreich), that series is also sure to be crucial to the movie as well.
Secret Invasion is rumoured for a May release, while Armor Wars remains undated.