Fans might have figured it out.

By Louise Griffin

2023-07-26 12:48:23

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WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD FOR SECRET INVASION EPISODE 6.

Finally, in Secret Invasion episode 6, we saw MCU hero James ‘Rhodey‘ Rhodes (Don Cheadle) being rescued from the Skrull compound after being held hostage for “a long time”.

Fans were suspicious of the iteration of Rhodey in Secret Invasion from the beginning, before it was revealed he was actually a Skrull and the real Rhodey was in one of the pods below the Skrull compound.

After G’iah‘s (Emilia Clarke) defeat of Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), she was able to rescue all of the humans held hostage, including Rhodey.

But just how long has he been down there? And what exactly has he missed?

How long has Rhodey been a Skrull in Secret Invasion?

When Rhodey’s rescued, G’iah tells him he’s been held hostage for “a long time” but doesn’t establish just how long.

However, there are clues. Most notably, Rhodey is wearing a hospital gown and his legs don’t work. The last time we saw Rhodey in that state was after a spinal injury he sustained in Captain America: Civil War, nine years before the events of Secret Invasion.

So, has he been held hostage ever since? If so, the implications are huge. He wouldn’t have been present for the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, meaning that he doesn’t actually know his best friend, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), is dead.

There is some scepticism about that theory, however. Wouldn’t Rhodey’s close friends, including Fury, have noticed that he was a Skrull before the events of Secret Invasion?

Either way, it’s one of the darkest theories fans have come up with – and it appears to have come true.

How does Secret Invasion set up Armor Wars?

Fans will no doubt find out more about Rhodey’s journey in his upcoming film, Armor Wars, which Secret Invasion sets up.

At the end of episode 6, the President declares war on the Skrulls, and Rhodey is, presumably, going to be a key figure in stopping the extinction of both the Skrulls and the human race.

However, the film is a way off yet, and is currently slated for summer 2025 – and there’s a lot that could happen between now and then.