A huge Stark technology twist could come to the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to Armor Wars' connection to Secret Invasion. Marvel Studios is planning to continue expanding the use of Iron Man's tech as the Multiverse Saga unfolds by giving Don Cheadle's James Rhodes a long-awaited solo project. Originally imagined as a Disney+ series, Armor Wars has since been reimagined as an MCU movie. It s Ironheart and other projects as MCU programming that retains a connection to Tony Stark's technology even after the character died in Avengers: Endgame.
Armor Wars is confirmed to be one of many MCU movies in development, but it does not currently have a spot on the Phase 5 or Phase 6 release slate. There has been little setup for the movie that is expected to revolve around a storyline where Stark's tech falls into the wrong hands. This will allow Rhodey to jump into action to help protect Iron Man's legacy. Spider-Man: No Way Home shows the government taking Stark's belongings, which has been speculated to be a piece of setup for Armor Wars. However, there is a much bigger MCU connection potentially on the horizon thanks to Secret Invasion.
Secret Invasion Sets Up Marvel’s Armor Wars Movie
It is confirmed that Secret Invasion helps set up the Armor Wars movie. Don Cheadle is scheduled to make his MCU return as James Rhodes a.k.a. War Machine in Nick Fury's Disney+ series. This follows only a small role in MCU Phase 4 thanks to Rhodey's cameo in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The extent of War Machine's role in Secret Invasion is unknown, but the confirmation that its story helps set up Armor Wars is telling. A massive connection could be ahead based on Marvel Studios changing Armor Wars from a show to a movie after working on Secret Invasion.
On the surface, connecting Secret Invasion and Armor Wars does not seem that obvious for Marvel. The first is a Disney+ series focused on an alien invasion and Nick Fury's spy/espionage corner of the franchise. Meanwhile, Armor Wars is an adaptation of a comic event where Tony Stark must take back his technology as various villains begin using it. There is a potential government oversight link that could bond the two MCU projects together, but Secret Invasion should focus heavily on the Skrulls as they invade Earth. Based on the trailers, that is because they are after something valuable.
Secret Invasion’s Skrulls Could Be After Stark Tech
There is a chance that Secret Invasion's story is about the Skrulls wanting to take some Stark tech for themselves, setting up Armor Wars to continue this storyline afterward potentially. Marvel Studios always takes liberties when it comes to adapting comic storylines, as Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and others were smaller than what the comics presented. Secret Invasion will do this again by taking one of Marvel's biggest events and scaling it down to focus on Nick Fury. Instead of the Skrulls infiltrating world governments to get revenge on Marvel's Illuminati like in the comics, an interest in Tony Stark's technology could be their motivation.
If the Skrulls want Stark tech in Secret Invasion, it creates a very natural link between the Disney+ series and Armor Wars. The show could reveal that even some of the people associated with Rhodey are Skrulls as they make efforts to get close to anyone who could help them gain access to remaining Iron Man suits or other Stark inventions. The shape-shifting aliens could view Stark's weapons as the key to them returning to dominance in the galaxy and even overthrowing Earth potentially.
Secret Invasion Might Mean Armor Wars Is A Secret MCU Cosmic Movie
This possible Stark tech twist could mean that Armor Wars could be a secret MCU cosmic movie through this Secret Invasion connection. Rhodey going on a mission to fight the Skrulls and get any stolen Stark technology back safely would necessitate a cosmic mission. Armor Wars could even recruit other cosmic MCU heroes or teams, such as Captain Marvel, to War Machine as he looks to stop the Skrulls from using the weapons for nefarious reasons.
Armor Wars' connection to Secret Invasion could even be a way for the MCU to utilize scrapped ideas for War Machine in Avengers: Endgame. The movie originally was going to give Rhodey a cosmic War Machine suit, with artist Phil Saunders creating ideas for what it would look like. While the suit ultimately was not used in the Phase 3 movie, Armor Wars could bring back the idea of a cosmic War Machine armor so he is properly equipped to fight the Skrulls in space.
