Ultron"s MCU Return Makes Me More Excited For Marvel"s Upcoming Iron Man 4 Replacement Movie
Summary
- There haven't been any updates about Marvel Studios' upcoming Armor Wars movie since September 2022, which makes me worried about the project.
- Ultron's return in the MCU's Vision series means the tyrannical robot could also be featured as a villain in Armor Wars, perhaps with the movie exploring Marvel Comics' Age of Ultron storyline properly.
- Armor Wars would be the perfect place to bring together the MCU's West Coast Avengers, especially if Ultron is introduced as the movie's primary antagonist.
I'm even more excited about Marvel Studios' upcoming Armor Wars movie after learning that Ultron will be returning to the MCU. In recent months, news regarding Don Cheadle's first solo project in the MCU has been scarce, especially after 2023's Secret Invasion introduced a controversial twist in the story of James "Rhodey" Rhodes' War Machine. I'm still uncertain about the status of Marvel Studios' Armor Wars – we haven't had an update since 2022 – but casting news for another upcoming MCU project might spell good news for the movie.
I was thrilled to hear that James Spader will be reprising the role of Ultron in the MCU's upcoming Vision series, which is set to premiere in 2026 (via The Hollywood Reporter). This will be the first time Spader's Ultron has been seen in the MCU since 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron, and the Vision series could set up the tyrannical artificial intelligence as a major threat in several upcoming projects. While a connection between the Vision series and Armor Wars hasn't been established yet, I reckon Ultron's return could enhance the upcoming movie massively.
War Machine's MCU Project
Year
Actor
Iron Man
2008
Terrence Howard
Iron Man 2
2010
Don Cheadle
Iron Man 3
2013
Don Cheadle
Avengers: Age of Ultron
2015
Don Cheadle
Captain America: Civil War
2016
Don Cheadle
Avengers: Infinity War
2018
Don Cheadle
Captain Marvel
2019
Don Cheadle
Avengers: Endgame
2019
Don Cheadle
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
2021
Don Cheadle
What If…? Season 1
2021
Don Cheadle
Secret Invasion
2023
Don Cheadle
Armor Wars
TBD
Don Cheadle
I Want To Know More About The MCU’s Upcoming Armor Wars Movie Nothing Has Been Heard About Armor Wars Since 2022 Armor Wars was first announced to be in development in December 2020, and was originally planned to premiere as a Disney+ series focused on Rhodey's attempts to deal with organizations trying to replicate Tony Stark's technology and the Iron Man armor. Clearly, this was inspired by the Marvel Comics storyline of the same name from 1987, which saw Tony Stark apprehend several villains who had stolen his technology. I imagined Armor Wars as the MCU's Iron Man 4 substitute, but I'm concerned that not much is yet known about the project.
In September 2022, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed Armor Wars would be reworked as a feature film for the MCU. Shockingly, this is the most recent update concerning Armor Wars, which makes me pretty worried that the movie might be shelved or postponed indefinitely. Marvel boss Kevin Feige neglected to comment on Armor Wars at this year's SDCC and D23 presentations. Rhodey's MCU story has become confusing in recent years, so I want more to be revealed about Armor Wars, bringing War Machine back to form.
Related The MCU's Mysterious Iron Man Follow-Up Movie Can Finally Set Up The Next Avengers Leader Marvel Studios" upcoming Armor Wars movie will continue Iron Man"s MCU legacy, and could see a veteran hero step up to be the Avengers" next leader.
Ultron’s Return To The MCU Could Make Armor Wars Even More Important James Spader Is Returning As Ultron In The MCU's Vision Series I can't wait for James Spader to return to the MCU (Spader's Robert California from The Office is one of my favorite characters of all time), but I think his return won't only benefit Marvel Television's Vision series. Ultron coming back to the MCU could also make Armor Wars a much more crucial cog in the Multiverse Saga machine, particularly since the robot tyrant slots perfectly into the Armor Wars storyline from Marvel Comics. Ultron has nothing to do with Tony Stark in the comics, but he is the ultimate case of missing Stark technology in the MCU.
Hank Pym created Ultron in Marvel Comics in 1968, basing the artificial intelligence on his own brain waves. Ultron formed a hatred for Pym, though became fascinated by Janet Van Dyne, and he was the first major character to wield the fictional metal alloy, adamantium.
In the MCU, Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark created Ultron in 2015's eponymous Avengers: Age of Ultron. He intended Ultron to act as a protective shield for the planet Earth, but Ultron surmised that he should protect the world from the Avengers and humanity. Ultron's connection to Vision means the latter's solo series is the perfect place for the artificial intelligence to return, but his connection to Stark makes me think that Armor Wars will also feature Ultron as its villain, making War Machine's solo movie even more important.
Armor Wars Can Adapt Marvel's Biggest Ultron Storyline Better Than The Avengers Avengers: Age Of Ultron Didn't Adapt Marvel Comics' Age Of Ultron Properly Close Despite being titled Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Phase 2 crossover movie had nothing to do with the Marvel Comics story of the same name from 2013. In Marvel Comics' Armor Wars event, an alternate universe was explored in which Ultron had succeeded in conquering the world and rebuilding it in his own image. This storyline was adapted for Marvel Animation's What If…? season 1, episode 8, "What If… Ultron Won?." Even though What If…? already explored Age of Ultron, I'd still love to see this story play out in live-action.
I think this would be a fantastic story to tell in Armor Wars, especially if the movie releases as part of the MCU's Multiverse Saga. Similarly to how Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness explored alternate realities, Deadpool & Wolverine caught up with Earth-10005, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps will venture into a new universe, Armor Wars can do the same. This could make Armor Wars a much more expansive, transformative and intense story for Rhodey, certainly redeeming him from his recent disappointments in the MCU.
Related Iron Man May Have Predicted An MCU Phase 6 Story 13 Years Ago Justin Hammer has been rumored to be returning in the MCU"s Armor Wars, and this return may have been predicted way back in Phase 1"s Iron Man 2.
I Don’t Think Rhodey Is Strong Enough To Take On Ultron Alone In Armor Wars – He’ll Need Help War Machine Could Bring Together A New Avengers Team In Armor Wars While featuring Ultron in Armor Wars makes sense to me, and makes me think that Armor Wars could be a great place to explore Marvel Comics' Age of Ultron event properly, this also makes me worried for Rhodey. War Machine is simply not strong enough to take on a villain as powerful as Ultron by himself – Tony Stark's Iron Man certainly couldn't do it alone in Avengers: Age of Ultron. However, Rhodey doesn't need to do this alone, as Armor Wars may also set up a brand-new Avengers team in the MCU's Phase 6: the West Coast Avengers.
The West Coast Avengers team was first formed by Hawkeye and Vision in 1984's The West Coast Avengers #1, as they wanted to extend the Avengers' influence outside of New York City. The founding members of the team including Hawkeye, Mockingbird, War Machine, Wonder Man and Tigra.
War Machine is a key member of the West Coast Avengers in Marvel Comics, and several other notable members have been introduced in recent years, or soon will be. White Vision, Wonder Man and Clint Barton's Hawkeye could form the team's foundations, while West Coast heroes such as Ant-Man, She-Hulk and Shang-Chi would also be formidable additions. If Ultron is set to appear in Armor Wars, I think Rhodey's West Coast Avengers would be the perfect heroes to take him on, and the possibility of this happening makes me very excited for the upcoming movie.
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Not Yet Rated ActionSuperheroAdventureDrama Initially conceived as a Disney+ series, Armor Wars is an MCU movie centered on Rhodey Rhodes' mission to honor Tony Stark's legacy and keep his Iron Man technology from wreaking havoc when they fall into the wrong hands. Starring Don Cheadle as War Machine, Marvel Studios' Armor Wars adapts the eponymous comic book storyline to the big screen in the Multiverse Saga.
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