Summary

  • Secret Invasion's revelation that Rhodey was a Skrull in Avengers: Endgame takes away from the emotional impact of Iron Man's death scene.
  • The moment is not completely ruined as Tony died thinking his best friend was there for him, even if it was actually a Skrull impersonating Rhodey.
  • The presence of other key characters during Tony's death like Peter Parker, Pepper Potts, Steve Rogers, and Thor lessens the impact of Secret Invasion's Rhodey reveal.

Secret Invasion director Ali Selim feared death threats after changing Iron Man's Avengers: Endgame death after four years. Secret Invasion focused on Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, with the former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. returning to Earth — after having spent years in space — to help Maria Hill and Talos stop a Skrull invasion on the planet. The Skrulls' shape-shifting powers allowed them to replace multiple MCU characters, but the reveal that Rhodey was a Skrull since Captain America: Civil War was the show's biggest, and it changed how fans see past events.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Selim revealed that he is aware of the backlash to what fans consider to be Secret Invasion's mistakes. The MCU director says he is worried that he may get death threats because of the impact that Rhodey being a Skrull has on Iron Man's Avengers: Endgame death, as well as for Secret Invasion killing Cobie Smulders' Maria Hill in the show's first episode. Check out the full quote below:

“I’m worried that I will get death threats because of that, and also because I’m the guy who took out Maria Hill. So I’m actually going into hiding now.”

Did Secret Invasion Ruin The Emotion Of Iron Man's Death?

Custom image of Iron Man's snap and death in Avengers: Endgame.

Iron Man's death is one of the MCU's most emotional moments, if not the number one. Avengers: Endgame saw the final stop in Tony Stark's long road of going from a self-serving person to one of the most selfless heroes in the MCU, sacrificing his life to defeat Thanos and his army by stealing the Infinity Stones with his nanotechnology and saving the MCU.

After Tony is successful, a few key characters in his journey go to him, with the hero slowly fading. Rhodey, Tony's best friend, is the first character to arrive on the scene. The hero softly caresses Tony's head, with the two sharing an understanding look, knowing that was the end of the line. Rhodey would then be present during Tony's funeral alongside several MCU characters.

Secret Invasion making Rhodey a Skrull in Avengers: Endgame robs Tony's death scene of all that emotion between Tony and Rhodey, as the real Rhodey doesn't even know that his best friend is dead. While Secret Invasion delivers a major blow to the emotion surrounding Iron Man's death, the moment is not completely ruined. Iron Man's MCU journey came to a fitting end, and even if Rhodey was a Skrull, Tony died thinking that his best friend was there for him, which isn't so bad. Peter Parker, Pepper Potts, Steve Rogers, and Thor's presence in the scene also help alleviate the impact Secret Invasion's Rhodey reveal had.

Source: THR

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