James "Rhodey" Rhodes is taking a break as War Machine in Phase 4 of the MCU, but should his next arc be fixing Tony Stark's biggest mistake? Initially portrayed by Terrence Howard, Rhodey was introduced in 2008's Iron Man, becoming Tony Stark's right-hand man as War Machine. After Don Cheadle took over the role, Rhodey appeared throughout the remainder of the Iron Man movies, the Avengers sequels and Captain America: Civil War, in which he suffered a devastating injury. Rhodey was last seen in Avengers: Endgame fighting against Thanos, mourning at Tony Stark's funeral, and suggesting the Avengers kill a baby. With Black Widow set in the past, The Falcon & The Winter Soldier focusing on Steve Rogers' friends, and the rest of the MCU going all-in on the multiverse, there's no obvious way to continue War Machine's story in Phase 4.

It goes without saying that Rhodey's MCU arc was intrinsically linked to his best friend. An undisputed hero in the fictional Marvel world, Stark saved the world on countless occasions and paid the ultimate price to halt the invasion of Thanos. But Stark made one mistake over and over again - letting his dangerous technology fall into the wrong hands. Seeing his brand name being used for evil inspired Stark to become Iron Man in the first place, but carelessness continued to be a problem for Stark, with Ivan Vanko, Ultron, and even Thanos benefiting from Stark's relentless pursuit of scientific progress. The most recent MCU offering (and the only post-Stark movie so far) proves the threat isn't over, with Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio terrorizing the world using stolen Stark tech in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Related: War Machine Originally Had ANOTHER Suit In Avengers: Endgame

Perhaps the most insulting way to besmirch Tony Stark's name is to use his technology for death and destruction, and Spider-Man: Far From Home proves this is still a problem in the MCU. The departed genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist would hate that his inventions were still being abused, and the responsibility of correcting that surely falls to his closest, most loyal friend, Rhodey. After standing by Stark through his party tantrum in Iron Man 2 and the friendship-busting events of Captain America: Civil War, it's only natural that Rhodey's first mission after watching Tony die would be ensuring the safety of his friend's technology. Happy Hogan assumed this role in Spider-Man: Far From Home (largely thanks to his crush on Peter Parker's aunt), but there's plenty of potential Stark tech still out there.

Rhodey War Machine Baby Thanos Plan Avengers Endgame

Upon the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame, it's assumed that Rhodey would finally put his feet up, especially after the crash in Captain America: Civil War almost ended his superhero career. Were it not for Thanos and the sudden spate of superhero vacancies his snap created, Rhodey may well have retired long ago, but Stark's death seems to finally draw a line under the adventures of War Machine. Reclaiming his friend's property from evil hands sounds like a distinctly post-retirement gig - a mission Rhodey could carry out from the shadows, only donning his suit when absolutely necessary. The premise perhaps doesn't necessitate an entire movie, or even a Disney+ TV series, but Rhodey could pop up in other MCU Phase 4 projects as the keeper of Tony Stark's arsenal, ensuring the legacy of Iron Man remains untarnished.

Rhodey's return would also allow for some resolution on a major Avengers: Endgame tease. It might've only been a fleeting glance, but the tension between Rhodey and Carol Danvers was enough to excite Marvel fans familiar with their comic book relationship. Nothing ever came of the moment in Avengers: Endgame, but Danvers is set to return in 2022 with Captain Marvel 2, and this feels like the best entry point to resume the War Machine story. Perhaps Danvers reunites with her fellow Avenger during one of Rhodey's missions to confiscate Stark weapons from bad guys, reigniting their MCU romance and proving that War Machine hasn't just been drinking beer and watching Back To The Future since Tony's death.

More: War Machine Was The First MCU Superhero To Be Cast (AND Recast)

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