The MCU’s Biggest Retcons: Rhodey’s Skrull Timeline, The Real Mandarin and More

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has largely operated as one giant linear story, the multi-billion dollar franchise does dip into the past every now and then. With titles like Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain Marvel being set decades prior to what was then the current MCU timeline, any big picture events covered in those prequel projects needed to either line up with the modern day or introduce something new that could be logically applied to present canon. To put it simply, these events are retcons: new information that changes how previously-described events are interpreted. Some of these retcons work seamlessly while others require some mental gymnastics.

Without further ado, here are some of the MCU’s biggest retcons in its 15-year history…

Rhodey’s Skrull Timeline – Secret Invasion

The Retcon: Secret Invasion reveals that Don Cheadle’s Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes is actually a Skrull in disguise. Secret Invasion director Ali Selim tells ComicBook.com that he believes that Rhodey has secretly been a shape-shifting alien since Captain America: Civil War.

What Changes: This would mean that all of Rhodey’s scenes in Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are actually featuring a Skrull rather than the real War Machine. Consequently, this indicates that the real Rhodey was not present at Tony Stark’s funeral and his conversation with Sam Wilson about giving up the Captain America shield was conducted by an imposter.

Celestials’ Emergences – Eternals

The Retcon: Eternals reveals planets, including Earth, are cocoons for Celestials and are hatched in a process called “Emergence.” Once a planet reaches a certain level of life, that planet’s Celestial emerges from its core, destroying the planet as a result. Earth was scheduled to birth the Celestial known as Tiamut in 2018 but Thanos’s snap delayed it until after the Blip. The Eternals were able to prevent Earth’s Emergence from happening but were warned by Arishem that judgement of their decision would be coming.

What Changes: Eternals comes with the plot armor that the titular immortal ensemble was strictly instructed not to interfere in MCU events, which gives them a reason as to why they had been absent from all prior storylines. That said, the Emergence puts a new perspective on Avengers: Infinity War. Considering Thanos’s motive was to preserve life through population control, this could be interpreted as the Mad Titan knowing that when a planet reaches a certain level of life it will be destroyed by its Celestial’s birth. 

Nick Fury’s Eye – Captain Marvel

The Retcon: Captain Marvel (2019) reveals that Nick Fury’s eyepatch is a result of Goose scratching his face. 

What Changes: Fury first alluded to his eyepatch origins in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier when he remarks that the last time he trusted someone, he “lost an eye.” While that Uber-serious delivery could still be applied to Fury “trusting” Goose to behave around him, a piece of physical evidence makes timelines fuzzy. Secretary Alexander Pierce showcases a photograph of himself and Nick Fury first meeting, in which Fury is bald with a mustache and has two working eyes. Considering Goose scratched out his eye when he still had a full head of hair, this photograph doesn’t make sense within Captain Marvel‘s retcon.

Peter Parker’s MCU Debut – Iron Man 2

The Retcon: Iron Man 2 features a boy in an Iron Man mask standing up to a Hammer Drone. Tony Stark flies into frame, using a repulsor blast on the rogue robot, remarking, “Nice work, kid.” Tom Holland revealed ahead of 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming that this Iron Man fan was actually a young Peter Parker.

What Changes: While this retcon has never been explicitly mentioned on screen, it provides an added layer to Peter and Tony’s relationship, emphasizing that the two have had a bond since the early days of the MCU.

Thor’s Older Sibling – Thor: Ragnarok

The Retcon: Thor: Ragnarok reveals that Odin’s firstborn is actually Hela, the goddess of death. Years before Thor was born, Hela helped Odin conquer the Nine Realms and was even the original wielder of Mjolnir.

What Changes: Odin was already 50/50 as a heroic character, but his backstory with Hela paints him as a fully-fledged antagonist in his prior years. Beyond that, Hela holding Mjolnir changes the concept of the hammer’s worthiness, as the weapon’s prophecy specifically states he who wields it shall “possess the power of Thor.”

The Real Mandarin – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

The Retcon: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings introduces audiences to the real Mandarin, Xu Wenwu. Wenwu has been alive for centuries, his life prolonged by the mythical Ten Rings, and has grown a criminal empire named after his other-worldly weapons. Wenwu’s Mandarin is a far cry from Trevor Slattery’s imposter Mandarin from Iron Man 3.

What Changes: Shang-Chi‘s Mandarin retcon capitalizes on a tease that had been building since 2014. After Iron Man 3‘s divisive Mandarin fake out, a short film entitled All Hail the King was released on Thor: The Dark World‘s home video in February 2014. This Marvel One-Shot featured a gang breaking Trevor Slattery out of prison because their leader, the real Mandarin, wants to meet him. Come Shang-Chi, Slattery was revealed to be imprisoned inside the Ten Rings’ headquarters.

Mind Stone Control – Loki

The Retcon: Loki reveals that the titular God of Mischief was under the influence of the mind stone during The Avengers, with the elemental crystal influencing his motives throughout his attempted conquest of Earth.

What Changes: This retcon may be Marvel’s equivalent of the infamous “Han shot first” debate within Star Wars. Loki being under a mind spell trick during The Avengers gives him a bit of deniability during his murderous crusade, similar to how Greedo’s initial blast makes Han Solo’s kill shot an act of self-defense.

The Starks’ Deaths – Captain America: Civil War

The Retcon: Captain America: Civil War reveals that the Winter Soldier was responsible for Howard and Maria Stark’s death, as he deliberately caused their car crash and then strangled both of them to death after.

What Changes: This particular retcon provides a bit of color to a previously vague plot point. Past projects had alluded to the Starks dying in a car crash, but never went into too much detail on what transpired that night. The most blunt hint that there was foul play in the crash came in Civil War‘s predecessor, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, where Arnim Zola teases that “accidents will happen” as a newspaper clipping of “HOWARD AND MARIA STARK DIE IN CAR ACCIDENT” flashes on screen.