Given his fate in Captain America: Civil War, it certainly came as a surprise to see Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes sporting his War Machine armor once again in November’s Avengers: Infinity War teaser trailer. According to the actor, though, the decision to don the armor once again doesn’t come easy for Rhodey.
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“You might see him suit back up again,” Cheadle said about Rhodey during a set visit attended by Screen Rant and other media outlets. “Although that’s a bit of a… that’s gonna be a thing for him to put that suit back on. Last time he was in it, it didn’t go so well.”
When asked about whether or not the manner in which his injury occurred, as well as who caused it, affected his character’s mindset, Cheadle explained, “Well I think it’s something that he’s fighting to put behind him. But absolutely, it creeps up. There’s innuendo. There’s shots taken. There’s things said. Don’t want certain people behind me. [Laughs] I’m gonna keep a eye on everybody, I wanna keep that jewel in front of me, not behind me. So yeah, I think he’s, like I said, I think he’s negotiating this reunion and his rejoining this team.”
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The “jewel,” of course, is a reference to the Vision, who inadvertently shot War Machine out of the sky with a blast from the Mind Stone in Civil War, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. However, by the end of the film, we see Rhodey beginning to adapt to his condition thanks to technology created by Tony Stark, so while he might not have made a full recovery, it appears he’ll at least be in fighting shape in Infinity War.
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Infinity War stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Tom Hiddleston and Josh Brolin, among others. The film hits theaters on April 27.