Hawkeye May Have Secretly Set Up The MCU’s Armor Wars

One moment in Hawkeye on Disney+ might have explained War Machine's mission in Marvel Studios' upcoming Armor Wars project. Originally billed as a series for Disney+, Armor Wars was announced to be reworked as a feature-length film in September 2022, marking the first solo outing on the big screen for Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes in the MCU. While not much is known about Armor Wars' storyline, the film will likely be adapted from the 1987 "Armor Wars" storyline in Marvel Comics' Iron Man, and it seems as though Marvel Studios has already begun to tease War Machine's future adventure during the MCU's Phase 4.

In the comics, the Armor Wars storyline features Tony Stark finding out that various criminals had used his stolen designs to develop advanced technology of their own, leading him to track them down and retrieve the stolen tech. The MCU's Armor Wars will replace Iron Man with War Machine in the wake of Stark's sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame, sending Rhodey out to stop Iron Man's technology falling into the wrong hands. The development of Armor Wars poses questions about how much Stark tech is out in the world, and how villains might have got their hands on it, though some Phase 4 projects might have already provided the answers.

Avengers Tech Was Being Sold In Hawkeye’s Black Market Auction

laura barton's watch being sold at auction in hawkeye

The question as to how the MCU's Stark tech made its way across the globe can be answered thanks to one scene in Hawkeye, which saw technology and equipment from the Avengers Compound being sold at a black market auction. Hawkeye's premiere episode, "Never Meet Your Heroes," saw Kate Bishop stumble upon an auction where items such as Laura Barton's SHIELD watch and the Ronin suit and sword were being sold to the highest bidder, gathered from the wreckage of the old Avengers HQ that was destroyed by Thanos. It's possible that this was also the fate for several Iron Man suits and various coveted pieces of Stark tech.

How Many Missing Iron Man Suits Are There?

Tony Stark standing in front of his suits in the MCU

During Robert Downey Jr.'s final appearance as Iron Man in the MCU's Avengers: Endgame, Tony Stark dons the Mark 85 version of the Iron Man armor, despite previously being seen wearing the Mark 50, which means that there are 35 Iron Man suits currently unaccounted for in the MCU. While Iron Man 3 ended with Stark cleaning house and destroying his current slate of suits, the five-year gap between Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame ensured that many more were created, including Pepper Potts' Rescue armor. These missing suits all have the potential to become important as the MCU gets closer to the release of Armor Wars.

The fact that these missing suits could have been sold at auction means that several armored villains could debut during Armor Wars, opening the door for iconic Iron Man villains such as Firepower, Crimson Dynamo, and even Ezekiel Stane, among others, to be introduced into the MCU. There's speculation that Riri Williams will also make an appearance, since her Ironheart suit is made from Stark tech, and Armor Wars could even introduce Doctor Doom as the Infamous Iron Man in the MCU. Thanks to the black market auctions introduced in Hawkeye, Tony Stark's missing Iron Man suits could significantly change the shape of the MCU when Armor Wars releases.

More: How Secret Invasion Can Connect To Marvel's Armor Wars Movie