James Rhodes (AKA Iron Patriot) Will Appear In Avengers: Age Of Ultron

With this past summer’s Iron Man 3 wrapping up the Iron Man-centric section of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, many fans have been wondering whether there’s still space for supporting players from that trilogy to appear in the star-studded, highly-anticipated sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron. Today, USA Today indirectly confirmed that Don Cheadle’s badass Lieutenant Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes (also known as War Machine and the Iron Patriot) will indeed play a role in the film, substantiating rumors from way back in April.

“I have a production meeting [for Avengers: Age of Ultron] after I get off the phone with you actually,” said Cheadle during an interview with USA Today reporter Arienne Thompson.

Rhodes played a major role in Iron Man 3, fighting alongside his friend Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) to take down an army of Extremis-afflicted super-soldiers led by the megalomaniacal Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce). The actor performed some of the most death-defying stunts in the movie, swinging on falling cargo containers and using his army training to single-handedly dispatch many of the mutants. He could definitely hold his own as an action hero in the upcoming Joss Whedon-directed Avengers sequel.

Age of Ultron will mark the character’s first interaction with other members of The Avengers. Whether his appearance will take the form of a cameo or a more sizeable part remains to be seen, but the character had best watch his back. Joss Whedon has promised “awful things” for the Avengers in Age of Ultron, and nothing spells tragedy quite like the death of a beloved supporting character. So, there’s no guarantee that Rhodey will make it out of the sequel alive if he does end up making a major appearance. His death at the hands of sentient super-robot Ultron would certainly set up a compelling, dark story for Tony Stark.

Will Whedon kill off the Iron Patriot in Avengers: Age of Ultron, or is Cheadle’s role going to be limited to a nifty, innocuous cameo? Tell us what you think in the comments.

Avengers: Age of Ultron arrives on May 1st, 2015.