Scarlet Witch and Ronin are superimposed on an image of War Machine

Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes (played by Don Cheadle) is one of the first characters to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, despite being recast, there’s an argument to be made that the character has the longest overall tenure in the MCU, having appeared as early as 2008’s Iron Man, and as recent as 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (earning Cheadle an Emmy Nomination). He is also set to lead the upcoming Disney+ Series Armor Wars.

RELATED: Armor Wars: 5 Iron Man Villains Who Should Appear In The Series (& 5 Who Shouldn’t)

A character with such a lengthy history in the universe is also prone to have a number of failures on their record. Though he will undeniably be remembered for his selfless acts of heroism, those failures could very well come back to haunt him as he continues to serve as the hero War Machine.

10 Destroying Scott’s Taco

As the surviving Avengers assemble at their compound in upstate New York to travel backward in time, the arrivals are less than smooth. As poor Scott Lang is simply trying to enjoy his tacos – one of his first meals after being trapped in the Quantum Realm for five years – the Guardians’ ship blows in to disrupt his peace. Despite Nebula’s warning that Scott was in the landing area, Rhodes deliberately lands mere feet from Lang, ruining the food for good. A failure of moral fiber, the least he could’ve done was offer to replace the taco.


9 Not Being Clear With Sam

In the series premiere of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson donates Captain America’s iconic shield to the Smithsonian. The shield had been given to Sam by an elderly Steve Rogers at the end of Endgame, which made audiences wonder why Sam gave it up.

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It’s a question that Rhodey asked of Sam when the former attended the donation ceremony. Sam had valid concerns that the series explored at length, but it’s still odd that Rhodey doesn’t offer stronger advice when the two speak. He merely says that the world is looking for someone to fix it, yet doesn’t offer Sam any comfort either way. It’s a missed opportunity for two friends that share so much in common.


8 Taking The Name “Iron Patriot”

If anyone alive knows how complicated being a symbol of America can be, it’s Colonel Rhodes. After the Battle of New York, Rhodey’s armor is given a red, white, and blue paint job and christened the “Iron Patriot.”

Throughout Iron Man 3, Tony Stark ribs him about abandoning the clearly superior name “War Machine” and though Rhodey seemingly stands by his new moniker, it’s obvious he’s still attached to the old name. Given how the film puts American bravado and exceptionalism on trial, it makes sense that Rhodes quickly and quietly reverts to his previous name.


7 Underestimating Ant-Man

To be fair, most of the Avengers more or less scoffed at the Ant-Man when they first met him. Between the unassuming persona, powers, and personality, Scott Lang was set up to be the laughingstock of the group.

This proved to be a giant miscalculation for everyone on Iron Man’s side in the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War; most notably Rhodey. After being blindsided by an explosive truck hurled by Ant-Man, Rhodes is further victimized when Lang snatches him out of the air and chucks him to the side like a broken toy. He learned his lesson, however, and the two fought side by side against Thanos’s forces a decade later.


6 Being Indecisive About Ronin

After Thanos leaves the world – or what’s left of it – in tatters, a small group of Avengers does their best to pick up the pieces; one notable absence is Clint Barton.

Of course, it’s now well known that Clint was traveling the world under the name Ronin, but before that, it’s shown that Rhodes had been closely following his rampage. It seems as though he had been withholding some information from Natasha, however, as he clearly discussed it with Captain Marvel before speaking with Nat. Following his admitted disgust at Barton’s actions – saying “there’s a part of me that doesn’t even want to find him,” – it seems he was torn on whether to recover him or not. This indecision left Barton out in the cold that much longer.


5 Giving The MK II Armor To The Military

After a drunk Tony Stark irresponsibly wields the Iron Man armor in a crowd full of civilians, it was arguably within reason for Rhodey to do whatever it took to subdue his dangerous friend – including donning a prototype Iron Man armor.

RELATED: Iron Man 2: 10 Details Fans Might Have Missed

Taking said armor to the American military for study and duplication, however, feels like a bridge too far. From a storytelling standpoint, audiences are glad this happened because it eventually led to him becoming the full-fledged hero War Machine. In the context of his friendship with Tony Stark, this is a massive breach of trust – and one that leads to disastrous consequences.


4 Signing The Sokovia Accords

When Senator Ross approaches the Avengers about the restrictive legislative proposal, championed by Stark himself, Rhodes quickly agrees to sign the Sokovia Accords.

It makes sense for Tony Stark’s best friend – who also happens to be a decorated and dutiful veteran – to stand firmly on the side of governmental oversight. That being said, this led to a number of horrible outcomes, including the death of Wakanda’s King, the persecution of a majority of the Avengers’ roster, and Rhodey himself becoming paralyzed from the waist down. While this doesn’t instantly change his allegiance, by the time Infinity War comes along, it’s clear Rhodey has become at least somewhat disillusioned with the movement.


3 Allowing Justin Hammer To Upgrade The MK II Armor

As if it wasn’t bad enough for Rhodey to hand the suit over to the US Military, he had to take it one step further by allowing Stark’s former competitor Justin Hammer to upgrade the armor’s weapons.

Aside from being a personal stab in Tony’s back, Hammer had already been proven to be woefully inept at working with this technology. What’s more is that the notoriously dubious Hammer immediately pawns his responsibilities off to another one of Stark’s enemies, Ivan Vanko, who installs a virus allowing him to take control of the armor remotely. While the lives lost as a result don’t necessarily rest on Rhodey’s shoulders, a little trust in his best friend could’ve prevented this weaponry from falling into the wrong hands.


2 Sitting Out The Lagos Mission

It has been widely debated among fans why exactly Rhodey and Vision didn’t join their teammates during that fateful mission in Lagos, Nigeria. Theories include their lack of stealth, wanting to keep some Avengers free in case another disaster strikes, and the simple-yet-valid reason of dramatic necessity.

RELATED: 10 Civil War Easter Eggs You’ll Only Notice On A Rewatch

That being said, their absence on a mission that resulted in a high number of dead civilians is notable. Colonel Rhodes would have been a better fit for the mission than Wanda Maximoff; he has military training, more control over his traditional weaponry, and a longer working relationship with the team. While this was likely not his call, the outcome of this mission surely gave Rhodey a great deal of regret and may have even influenced his decision to sign the Sokovia Accords.


1 Leaving 2014 Without Nebula

After traveling back in time with Nebula to retrieve the Power Stone from the planet Morag, things seem to be going well for the pair. When the two prepare to head back to the present, however, Rhodey activates his device a mere millisecond before she does.

As a result, Rhodey doesn’t see Nebula malfunctioning and breaking down as a result of her cybernetic parts interfering with those of her past self. This ultimately allows Thanos to capture present-day Nebula and replace her with her more obedient counterpart, who subsequently brings Thanos and his forces to the present as well. The resulting battle is not only violent and avoidable but cost Rhodey the ultimate price; the life of his best friend. Of all his failures, this moment must haunt Rhodes the most.


Three panels. The first one is a tall, black man with cybernetics covering part of his face. His lower half is in a mechanical suit and he's holding a heavy gun. The second is James Rhodes taking off the Iron Man helmet, half of his face visible under the yellow and red mask. The third is Don Cheadle as James Rhodes in the War Machine armored suit.

10 Times War Machine Was The Better Iron Man

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