Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion threw a major twist in the MCU lore when they revealed that James Rhodes (or Rhodey) has actually been a Skrull for some time. Secret Invasion’s director recently spoke on when he thinks the swap happened.
When did Rhodey get swapped with a Skrull?
Speaking to ComicBook.com recently, director Al Selim was asked about the timeline for when Rhodes (played by Don Cheadle) may have been taken and replaced by the Skrulls. According to Selim, he thinks that things point back to 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, and believes that’s where Rhodes was swapped.
As for the rest of the timeline, Selim thinks it’s more fun for fans to go back and revisit moments with a new lens.
“A lot of people have asked about, ‘Definitively, when did Rhodey…?’” Selim said. “I think his legs not working in the end of episode six and him being in the hospital gown points to [Captain America: Civil War]. And, from there, does it have to be definitive, or is it more fun for the audience to go back and revisit every moment, every Rhodey moment and look at it with a different lens now that they think, ‘Oh, he might’ve been a Skrull there.’ And make the decision for themselves, or it’ll be answered in Armor Wars.”
Captain America: Civil War saw Rhodey lose the use of his legs after he is accidentally hit by a beam from Vision, causing him to crash into the ground. Though Tony Stark/Iron Man has motorized leg braces made to allow Rhodey to continue walking, it seems this was all done for a Skrull with Rhodey’s face rather than the real Rhodey.
What is Secret Invasion about?
Secret Invasion hails from head writer Kyle Bradstreet and director Ali Selim. The series features the return of MCU vets Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Cobie Smulders, Martin Freeman, and Don Cheadle, as they reprise their respective roles as Nick Fury, Talos, Maria Hill, Everett Ross, and Rhodey. They’re joined by Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Dermot Mulroney, Killian Scott, and more.
“In Secret Invasion, set in the present-day MCU, Fury learns of a clandestine invasion of Earth by a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls,” reads the logline. “Fury joins his allies, including Everett Ross, Maria Hill, and the Skrull Talos, who has made a life for himself on Earth. Together they race against time to thwart an imminent Skrull invasion and save humanity.”
Executive producers are Selim, Bradstreet, Kevin Feige, Jonathan Schwartz, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Brian Tucker, Jennifer L. Booth, Allana Williams, and Brant Englestein.