Last spotted: Having supported longtime friend Tony Stark by signing the Sokovia Accords and fighting to bring in a renegade Steve Rogers in Captain America: Civil War, James “Rhodey” Rhodes was crippled after the airport battle.
Vision accidentally shot him out of the sky amid the chaos, causing severe spinal injury. Thanks to new mechanical supports from Stark, Rhodey has been working to get on his feet.
Current whereabouts: Rhodey is back in the War Machine suit, which isn’t something he takes lightly. After all, the last time he wore it, he was free falling towards the ground. He is also now used to his supports, which allow him to run and jump and everything he needs to do.
Rhodey has rejoined the Avengers, which is still being led by Stark, but resentments lie behind his passive-aggressive (and aggressive-aggressive) remarks. (For example, “I wanna keep that jewel in front of me, not behind me,” is a ding at Vision.)
The events of Wakanda — i.e. Thanos’ impending army invasion — helps reintroduce Rhodey to the fold. Plus, he’s a walking reminder to everyone else that, yes, superheroes can fall in battle — especially in the two movies meant to wrap up the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far.
Picked up from agents: “I think there are definitely more questions for Rhodey. 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.” — Don Cheadle
