Phase 5 of the MCU came to an end, and the main complaint is that it didn’t feel like a phase at all. Scattered projects with no real interconnectedness are what characterized this middle chapter of the Multiverse Saga. Still, the phase’s last outing, Ironheart, proves that if anything, the MCU still has stories to tell if it’s willing to return to the basics. And by basics, we mean the machinery that kickstarted this age of heroes: the tech armor. Introduced by Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, his infinite armor versions came to a halt following his death in Avengers: Endgame.
Living up to his legacy, Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams reignited the tech suit flame and gave it a kick. Ironheart achieves a unique mix between technology and magic, creating new paths for the future of the MCU. Having the suit of armor interact with other elements of this vast universe should be a priority for Marvel Studios, and the ideal project is right there to move forward — the stuck-in-development-hell Armor Wars.
‘Ironheart’ Features an Unexpected but Welcome Mix of Magic and Technology
When introduced to the MCU in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Riri’s intellect indirectly starts a war between Wakanda and Namor’s (Tenoch Huerta) Talokan. Returning to her MIT life, she struggles to make ends meet and keeps on selling her knowledge. After being discovered, her inevitable expulsion leads her to allying herself with The Hood (Anthony Ramos) and his criminal gang. While this is just the regular bad decision-making of the story’s hero, it also leads her to discover the world of magic.
Exploring the origins of The Hood, Riri comes in touch with Zelma Stanton (Regan Aliyah), a practitioner of the mystical arts. This kickstarts the dynamic between Riri and magic, as she fully embraces it, along with the consequences it may bring. With her magic-infused tech armor, she’s able to defeat Zeke (Alden Ehrenreich) and The Hood. This leads her to the mastermind behind the curtain, the long-awaited Mephisto (Sacha Baron Coen). Ironheart ends with Riri making a deal with him, leaving the door open for more interactions between Stark-like technology and the unexplored corners of the MCU.
Back in December 2020, Armor Wars was announced with thunderous applause. With Marvel Studios being fully committed to its packed slate of Disney+ TV shows, the announcement included Don Cheadle reprising his role as James Rhodes. For the next few years, the series continued in active development, as Black Monday’s Yassir Lester was hired as head writer. In 2022, Marvel’s seeming confidence in the show made the studio decide to make Armor Wars a feature film instead.
But, ever since then, news about the film waned. An ambiguous update was given by producer Nate Moore following the release of Captain America: Brave New World, apparently indicating the project was stuck in development hell. It’s clear Cheadle is up to play Rhodey whenever he’s required to, so even if Armor Wars’ fate might be bleak, the project should be revived for Phase 6 or beyond.
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‘Armor Wars’ Should Answer Several Open-Ended Questions From the MCU
Although Armor Wars has yet to see the light of day, Rhodey has already appeared in a Phase 5 project – Secret Invasion. And even if it’s one of the lesser MCU outings, it’s still canon. In it, Rhodey was revealed to have been abducted and replaced by the Skrulls at some point in the timeline. With Armor Wars set after these events, it was supposed to answer the questions of when and how he was replaced, as well as exploring the fallout of his comeback.
The fate of important characters of the Iron Man franchise should also be the focus of Armor Wars. For instance, who would want to come into possession of Stark technology more than Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer? Also, after having Ty Simpkins’ Harley Keener at Tony’s funeral, it’s clear he kept in touch with Tony after Iron Man 3. It’d make sense for him to want to continue with his legacy as well. If he were to interact with Ironheart’s Riri, their combined intelligence would be unmatched. Plus, the legacy angle could be stretched to Morgan Stark as well, giving Katherine Langford the chance to portray the character in the MCU, beyond the Avengers: Endgame deleted scene.
‘Armor Wars’ Has the Potential to Make Stark Industries Relevant Again in the MCU
Even aftert was announced five years ago, not many details are known about Armor Wars. If the project is to follow the comic book storyline of the same name, it’d focus on War Machine recovering leaked Stark technology. And boy, does that company have scattered tech across the globe. Spider-Man: Far From Home showcased Jake Gyllenhaal as a disgruntled former Stark employee who becomes an instant menace when controlling Stark’s glasses. Situations like these must be an everyday happening in the MCU, and Rhodey is just the man to keep policing them.
MCU crossovers don’t need much explanation behind them, as long as there’s a shared thematic thread. Under this assumption, it’d be logical for Riri’s armor to be mistaken as stolen Stark property. And let’s not forget that Paul Bettany’s Vision is also composed of Stark technology. He’s set to return in his own series, tentatively titled Vision Quest, along with Iron Man villain Raza (Faran Tahir). The consequences of this confrontation could also play out in Armor Wars.
The MCU is packed with infinite storytelling possibilities. Considering Marvel Studios is currently milking the nostalgia factor through legacy actors, it’s understandable for them to keep angling for multiversal adventures. But Armor Wars is also a product worth developing – with the potential of bringing the old Marvel feeling back. Whichever way Armor Wars may go, it’s clear the suit of armor deserves a continuing storyline to keep honoring Tony’s legacy.
Ironheart
- Release Date
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2025 – 2025
- Network
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Disney+
