Armor Wars (2024)

Armor Wars is a film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), revolving around the character James “Rhodey” Rhodes, also known as War. The project was originally announced in 2020 as a 6-episode series for Disney+, but in September 2022, Marvel Studios decided to convert it into a theatrical film because it was “too epic and expensive to produce as a series”.

The film is inspired by Marvel’s “Armor Wars” comic book, about advanced technology left by Tony Stark falling into the wrong hands. In the MCU, after Tony Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame, the threat becomes more real when Stark technology is seized by the government and other organizations and turned into weapons. The film will follow Rhodes on a mission to stop these forces – a theme that reflects the obsession with “Iron Man’s mistakes” in the comics.

According to some sources from Marvel news sites, the project is currently undergoing a “thorough rewrite” due to the mixed reactions from the Secret Invasion series. The old script has been delayed, replaced by a completely new direction, which may air after Avengers: Secret Wars.

 Don Cheadle once shared that the future of the film is still unclear, although it was planned to be produced in 2023. In terms of actors, in addition to Don Cheadle, Sam Rockwell is expected to return as Justin Hammer – Stark’s arch-rival. This promises to open up an “Iron Army” – a group of Stark-clad enemies created by Hammer – which could become the central drama of the film. Additionally, Morva Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis‑Dreyfus) is also said to be involved, behind the D.O.D.C., the organization that currently holds the technology. Marvel's side is particularly focused on quality, so "Armor Wars is not canceled, but pushed back to ensure the best quality".Some sources say the film could be released in 2026, although there was an internal rumor that it was scheduled for summer 2025 (between Fantastic Four and Avengers), but everything is still in the "building and remaking" phase.In short, Armor Wars promises to be a film that inherits the Iron Man legacy but with a new perspective through the character War Machine - who has to shoulder the title while facing the consequences of Stark technology. Despite going through many changes during the development process (from series to film, being postponed, rewriting the script...), this is still a notable project in the MCU because it reflects the ethical issues and responsibilities of those with technological power. Hopefully, when released, Armor Wars will bring a more attractive and suitable story in the post-Endgame period of the MCU.