‘Civil War’ Changes War Machine For ‘Avengers: Infinity War’

War Machine will look past the feud which tore the Avengers apart and left him paralyzed through friendly fire in favor of saving the universe in Avengers: Infinity War.

Speaking to members of the press on set of Avengers: Infinity War, Don Cheadle opened up about his War Machine character’s stance heading into the ensemble flick. “Well, clearly there was a pretty significant moment for Rhodey at the end of Civil War, where he was accidentally shot out of the air by Vision,” Cheadle pointed out. “I think we worked it out over the break. And now he’s coming back to the Avengers too, back to his team. A little ambivalent I think with a new rig by Tony, which of course he had to put his name on. So Tony! Like I’m gonna not know who made them. And he’s rejoining the team and reintroduced back here in this Wakanda storyline.”

Similar to Tony Stark in Iron Man 3, Rhodes will be carrying the events of his previous cinematic appearance with him quite heavily. He no longer slips into the War Machine suit with such enthusiasm. “I think it’s something that he’s fighting to put behind him,” Cheadle said. “But absolutely, it creeps up. There’s innuendo. There’s shots taken. There’s things said. Don’t want certain people behind me. 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.”

In his last appearance, James Rhodes was of the belief that the government and its Sokovia Accords were the correct path for the Avengers to follow. With Infinity War posing a threat like no other to Earth and the entire universe, Rhodes just might be changing his mind.

“I think there are definitely more questions for Rhodey,” Cheadle said. “I think he was always somewhat straddling with having Tony as a friend and trying to support him and do what he needed, being outside of the lines, but still somehow trying to stay within the chain of command and the military man that he is. So I think that’s become more fraught and probably more frayed as the storylines go forward.”

The friendship with Tony will be ever-present, even if Rhodes and Stark don’t share the screen too often in Infinity War. In fact, Rhodes is likely spending more time with Tony’s Civil War enemy Captain America this time around.. “I think at the end of the day that division was not something that was really fomented by the characters in the movie,” Cheadle said. “There were outside pressures that created that division. And they ultimately want to be back together. So, I think that Tony who has yet to make an appearance so I imagine that he’s understanding of it.”

Marvel Studios’ Black Panther is now playing in theaters. Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters on April 27, 2018. It is followed by Ant-Man and The Wasp on July 6, 2018, Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019, the fourth Avengers movie on May 3, 2019, the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming on July 5, 2019, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in 2020.

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