Tony Stark’s death inAvengers: Endgamewas arguably the biggest emotional gut punch throughout the entireMCU- and a recent retcon helps to explain one of the more confusing stories involving his passing. Stark was the heart and soul ofthe MCU timeline, kicking it all off withIron Manin 2008. Prior to his death, when he thought it was possible he wouldn’t make it out alive, Tony Stark made some decisions that would change the course of MCU history forever. One particular decision was seemingly leaving out Rhodey from any of his posthumous plans.
Rhodey (War Machine) was by Tony’s side from the beginning, playing a bigger role as the universe moved forward and eventually joining the Avengers. Duringthe MCU showSecret Invasion, it was revealed that Rhodey wasn’t who everyone thought he was for seemingly quite a while in the franchise, forever changing what took place prior to Tony Stark’s death. Because of this notion, it strangely justifies one major decision Tony Stark made that was honestly quite baffling.
Avengers: Endgame’s Retcon Helps Justify Why Iron Man Gave EDITH To Spider-Man
Following his death inAvengers: Endgame,Tony gives Peter Parker control over his defense and AI systemcalled Even Dead, I’m The Hero - or EDITH for short. The entire plot ofSpider-Man: Far From Homerevolves around Mysterio gaining Peter’s trust so that he will eventually get handed the keys to EDITH. For something so incredibly dangerous and powerful, it felt like a strange move for Tony to give it to Peter, instead of someone like Rhodey.
With Rhodey retroactively made into a Skrull during the events ofAvengers: Endgame, it is possible that Tony knew something was wrong.
As seen inSpider-Man: Far From Home, Tony’s decision to give Peter EDITH turned out to be a bit misguided, even if he did stop Mysterio at the end. Mysterio was able to use that technology to broadcast to the world who Spider-Man was, forever changing the character’s future. With Rhodey’s new twist, though, it makes sense that Iron Man ultimately chose Peter instead.
Endgame’s Skrull Retcon Explains Other Iron Man Story Details
Secret Invasionpromised that the MCU would change forever,revealing some characters were actually Skrull imposters. Rhodey was the most significant character to be retconned into a Skrull, seemingly becoming one sometime betweenCaptain America: Civil WarandAvengers: Endgame. Though the ramifications of this haven’t been explored since, it didretroactively change some of Iron Man’s story throughout the MCU, and sheds light on some of the decisions Tony made.
Marvel’s Controversial Endgame Twist Creates An Iron Man Problem For Phase 6
The controversial recent retcon to Avengers: Endgame sets up a major issue regarding Iron Man’s death that will need to be dealt with in Phase 6.
The most standout story change comes back to the EDITH situation. Of course, if Tony Stark had any inkling that something was off about Rhodey prior to his death, it makes sense that he would be hesitant to give him that sort of technology. With Rhodey retroactively made into a Skrull during the events ofAvengers: Endgame, it is possible that Tony knew something was wrong given how long they had known each other.
The MCU Has The Perfect Way To Explore What The Skrull Twist Really Meant For Its Iron Man Story
The MCU hasn’t really explored the ramifications of Skrulls replacing key figures outside a handful of scenes in various projects and, of course,Secret Wars. It’s unclear how much Marvel Studios wanted to include them going forward, and it’s very possible the story is likely to not be truly followed up on due to the series' poor reception. Still, there is a perfect project that the MCU could use to really explore what the Skrull twist means for Rhodey.
Armor Warswas announced as a series in December 2020, prior to being changed into a film later on.
Armor Warsis an upcoming MCU filmwith Don Cheadle reprising his role as Rhodey. Set post-Endgame, it will most likely explore Rhodey trying to figure out his own legacy now that Tony Stark is no longer around. It is also the perfect opportunity to deal with the fallout that came with Rhodey having been replaced by a Skrull for a period of the MCU timeline. This could also help shed some light on how Tony Stark perceived Rhodey prior to his death.
Rhodey has been an important part of the MCU and Tony Stark’s story sinceIron Man, eventually becoming War Machine inIron Man 2. Despite being one of Tony’s best friends, it seemed like he wasn’t even considered by Stark to be the one to take over EDITH. WithSecret Invasionretconning Rhodey into a Skrull before Tony died inAvengers: Endgame, though, Stark choosing someone else to take up the mantle instead of him now looks different.
