From a paternal social worker in “Hotel for Dogs” to enduring the Rwandan genocide in “Hotel Rwanda” and many movies that have nothing to do with hotels, Cheadle has consistently proven his versatility since he started working in the ’80s. But when it comes to his role as James Rhodes, aka War Machine, in the MCU, Cheadle’s performances have mostly been limited to his interactions with Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. That said, over the 13 years that Cheadle has been a part of the shared Marvel Universe, he’s had his moments. “Captain America: Civil War” provided the actor with a lot more to do in terms of, you know, acting, just like “Iron Man 3.”
But Kevin Feige and his directors have always seemingly overlooked just how much star talent they have on their hands with Cheadle, which is why it’s nice to see him having a little more to do with “Secret Invasion.” While there wasn’t much of Rhodey in the first episode of ‘Secret Invasion’, there’s enough in Episode 2 to suggest we’ll be seeing a whole new side to the character in the near future. , with one tense scene in particular featuring both Cheadle and the acting skills of Samuel L. Jackson.
After Jackson’s Nick Fury fails to foil a bomb plot in Moscow, resulting in the death of Cobie Smulders’ agent Maria Hill, world leaders search for a culprit. And with Fury spotted at the scene, he very quickly becomes the target of their wrath. Luckily, James Rhodes defends him in a court hearing before meeting the former SHIELD director at an empty high-end restaurant to reprimand him for his recklessness. The meeting ends with Fury being unceremoniously fired, which Rhodes has actually volunteered to perform. But it’s the interaction between the two, before Fury was fired, that’s the best part of it all.