Secret Invasion: Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige Hints That the Rhodey Reveal May Not Have Been Recent

Colonel James Rhodes is currently appearing in Secret Invasion, which is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. The show marks the comeback of Nick Fury amidst an impending Skrull invasion, and Rhodey is one of the prominent parties in the events. From the very first episode, however, fans have noticed that something about the Rhodey that we see, who threatens Fury, is not quite right. Episode 4 finally explained what’s up with a major reveal – Rhodey is actually a Skrull in disguise. And now, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has hinted that the displacement might have happened for long before fans realised.

Don Cheadle and Kevin Feige talk about the major Rhodey reveal

A recent article on Marvel’s official website dug deeper into the Rhodey that we see in Secret Invasion. Cheadle explained how the show has now given way to the “cat-and-mouse game” between Fury and Rhodey (who actually is a Skrull). Feige mentions the significance of the creative decision behind this major reveal. He says:

“We needed to have a character that one would not expect to be a Skrull. Don was on board for this reveal of playing and revealing another side of Rhodey and revealing that, yeah, Rhodey has been a Skrull.”

As for the question of “exactly how long he’s been a Skrull”, Feige responded enigmatically, “We like the idea of fans going back and watching some of the other appearances of Rhodey and realizing that that wasn’t him.”

This revelation raises questions about whether there were subtle hints about Rhodey’s true identity in his previous appearances. Despite his recent appearance in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, his conversation with Sam about becoming Captain America seemed genuine and in line with his character (unless there were hidden motives behind his words).

However, it is unlikely that Rhodey was a Skrull in disguise in his previous appearances before Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This is because the Skrull invasion technically occurred after Nick Fury’s departure from Earth, which took place after the events of Avengers: Endgame. It is possible that Feige’s statement is simply intended to generate excitement among fans.