Marvel's Armor Wars: What To Know About The Upcoming Disney+ Series

Although it’s been with us for over a decade now, the Marvel Cinematic Universe only seems to be gaining more momentum as time goes on. The franchise continues to dominate the box office but, as of late , it’s also been making its way to the small screen through a slew of television projects. A few Marvel TV shows have aired, and many are in various stages of production, including Armor Wars. The Iron Man-adjacent series will see MCU veteran Don Cheadle return to take the lead as James Rhodes a.k.a. War Machine, and the series could have lasting ramifications on the cinematic universe as a whole. With this, there are a few things you should know about the Disney+ series.

Armor Wars was initially announced in December of 2020, alongside a cavalcade of other MCU projects. As you would expect, details on the TV project have mostly been kept under wraps. Luckily for us, there are a few things we do know about the show, whether they come from official announcements or unexpected comments made by a certain lead actor. And from what we can infer so far, this could be an exciting and complex series. So, without further ado, let’s discuss what you need to know about the upcoming Disney+ show:

Armor Wars Is Set After The Events Of Secret Invasion

Some may still find it somewhat difficult to keep up with the sprawling MCU timeline, but Marvel Studios does provide context where necessary. At Disney’s 2022 D23 Expo, it was confirmed that Armor Wars takes place after the events of Secret Invasion, which we also know a few things about. One of those things is that Don Cheadle’s Rhodey is also set to be a supporting player in that series. So one can assume that the Samuel L. Jackson-led series will leave Cheadle’s Rhodes in a prime position for his own show, and I’m curious as to how things will ultimately play out.

Armor Wars Is Inspired By The Classic Marvel Comics Storyline

Marvel Studios hasn’t really done direct adaptations of classic storylines, as the company typically takes elements from different comics to create a fresh story. The same seems to be true for Armor Wars. The story was originally a seven-issue arc written by David Michelinie and Bob Layton and published from late 1987 to early 1988. In the tech-centric tale, Tony Stark discovers that his Iron Man technology has fallen into the hands of heroes and villains alike, which leads to disastrous results. It’s been confirmed that the TV adaptation will have a somewhat similar premise, only Tony  obviously won’t be the lead. But, that doesn’t mean the deceased hero still won’t play a role, though.

The Legacy Of Tony Stark Will Factor Into Armor Wars

Details on Armor Wars are scarce at this point, but lead Don Cheadle did provide a few interesting tidbits in an interview. Something he mentioned is that the legacy and absence of Tony Stark will play into the story. With Stark having sacrificed himself at the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame, he won’t be around to stop his tech from falling into the wrong hands. That responsibility will, of course, fall on his best friend and fellow Avenger, James Rhodes. It’s safe to assume that Tony’s death is still weighing on Rhodey and, much like Sam Wilson in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Rhodes will likely do what he can to honor and continue his late friend’s work. But, while Tony Stark’s extensive (and heavily flawed) legacy will likely loom large, one must also consider what we may learn about Rhodey.

Marvel Fans Will Learn More About Don Cheadle’s War Machine In Armor Wars

It’s been a long wait, and it’s exciting thatJames Rhodes is finally getting his time in the spotlight. Rhodey has come through in the clutch on multiple occasions, but it cannot be denied that he’s mostly been a supporting character. Thankfully, Don Cheadle has confirmed that Armor Wars will definitely explore “a lot” about Rhodey. The stoic Air Force colonel is a bit of a mystery, so the show should, hopefully, be able to shine a light on his past. Cheadle also teases that the show can explore his War Machine tech, which has evolved with each of Rhodes’ appearances. Needless to say, the chances of the Avenger getting a new and improved suit of armor are high. It’s going to be interesting to see how the actor carries the MCU production, but if you’ve seen any Don Cheadle movies or TV shows, then you know the Oscar-nominated actor can certainly hold his own.

Armor Wars Will Have A Six-Episode Run On Disney+

Fans may not be surprised to hear that Armor Wars will have a six-episode season, as confirmed by Marvel’s Kevin Feige at D23 2022. The vast majority of the MCU shows – excluding WandaVision, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and What If..? – have had the same amount of installments. This could be an indication that the studio is looking to keep the story tight. The six-episode format has been met with mixed reception, so one can only hope that it works here.

Disney+ Has Not Set A Premiere Date For Armor Wars

While Marvel Studios has plenty of content lined up over the next few years, not all of the announced projects have come with release dates and, unfortunately, Armor Wars is one of those productions. At the very least, it was announced at 2022’s D23 that the show will commence production sometime in 2023. With that in mind, it’s possible that the show could premiere sometime in 2024, which would place the project somewhere in MCU Phase 5 or 6.. While this will likely be hard for those waiting to see Marvel Studios’ take on the classic story, there’s still comfort in knowing that the series is making progress. Hopefully, we’ll get a concrete release window  sooner rather than later.

There are plenty of other questions surrounding Armor Wars as well. For instance, we still don’t know who the antagonist(s) will be or if the show will definitely feature other veteran MCU characters. As is the case with anything Marvel-related, however, we’ll surely find out when the time is right. In the meantime, definitely be sure to check out James Rhodes’ past appearances in MCU fare with a Disney+ subscription, and also keep up to date with other upcoming Marvel TV shows.