Secret Invasion: Why Rhodey is a Skrull, reasons explained

Being an espionage thriller series, Secret Invasion will surely pack multiple shocking reveals in every episode. A few of those could be regarding character deaths, similar to what happened in episode 1. However, the majority of revelations would involve familiar MCU characters turning out to be Skrulls.

Disclaimer: The following article might contain potential spoilers.

Episode 1 revealed a Skrull imposter posing as Everett K. Ross, as the real Ross might have been captured by the Skrulls. Similarly, we’re going to see multiple others who could turn out to be shape-shifting aliens from Gravik’s rebellious group. The most significant of those could turn out to be Don Cheadle’s James "Rhodey" Rhodes.

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Why Rhodey could be a Skrull in Secret Invasion

Don Cheadle in 'Secret Invasion' (Image via Marvel)

The revelation of James Rhodes as a Skrull could be the biggest and most shocking surprise of this series, and there is a reason why it might happen. First, there were many Avengers who were revealed as Skrulls in the comics.

But due to a lower budget, most of the Avengers are sitting out of the MCU’s Secret Invasion event that’s supposed to be based on the same story. Marvel could afford to have just Rhodey because he is a regular human with no powers.

So, it’s almost compulsory to turn him into a Skrull to increase the shock value. Furthermore, it is easy to have him replaced by one of the bad Skrulls, as it could have happened any time after Avengers: Endgame.

Don Cheadle set to take center stage as James Rhodes/War Machine in Armor Wars (Image via Marvel)

The goal of Gravik’s Skrull invasion is to turn Earth into a home for Skrulls. But for that, he needs to put his agents in the most important positions on the planet.

One of those positions is currently held by Rhodey, who is working alongside the White House security administration. He is very close to President Ritson, being his right-hand man. So, his position could prove to be highly influential for Gravik and his rebellion.

Another point to be noted is that Rhodey’s arc in Secret Invasion is supposed to set up his role in Armor Wars. Rhodey turning into a Skrull would be a perfect setup for that. Since he had access to Stark tech, his Skrull imposter could be the one responsible for putting Stark weapons into the wrong hands of Skrulls and other villainous groups on the planet.

So all in all, it would make sense for Rhodey to be a Skrull in Secret Invasion. And towards the end of the show, the real human Rhodey could be brought back. Then in Armor Wars, it’d be upon him to try and undo the damage that his Skrull imposter caused in Secret Invasion.

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Another character who could be a Skrull in MCU

Is Val a Skrull? (Image via Marvel)

Another important position of power is currently held by Val, as she has become the director of the CIA. She isn’t reported to play a role in Secret Invasion but could get a cameo towards the end, where she is revealed as a Skrull. It would be a great setup for season 2.

In the comics, she was replaced by a Skrull imposter. So, it is possible that the MCU will follow her comic book arc. After Secret Invasion, she will be playing a Nick Fury-like role to assemble the Thunderbolts team. So, all her actions in the movie would be to carry on the Skrull invasion into the next season, where she becomes the main villain.