Secret Invasion Episode 4 Reveals an Avenger Is a Skrull

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for episode 4, "Beloved," of Secret Invasion's first season. In Secret Invasion, spymaster Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and the shape-shifter Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) discover a Skrull insurgency led by rebel Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), which has successfully infiltrated all levels of society, including the Avengers. Surprisingly, it is revealed that Colonel James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), also known as War Machine, is a Skrull mole working closely with U.S. President Ritson (Dermot Mulroney). The Skrull imposter Raava (Nisha Aaliya) has replaced Rhodey and conspired with Fury's Skrull wife, Priscilla/Varra (Charlayne Woodard), to assassinate Fury.

Cheadle expressed his excitement about the Skrull twist, stating, "It's fascinating to explore this hidden side of Rhodes. He's not who he appears to be, which adds an intriguing layer to the character."

Skrull Rhodey informs the president that Fury and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) are "effectively AWOL" after Fury's departure from S.A.B.E.R. and return to Earth. Subsequently, Skrhodey dismisses Fury from duty and manipulates Varra into plotting her husband's assassination.

"The story between Rhodey and Fury becomes a cat-and-mouse game," Cheadle explained. "Rhodes holds information about Fury, and the stakes are high as Fury tries to protect the planet while navigating this dangerous situation."

This revelation follows the earlier reveal that Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) was also replaced by a Skrull in the first episode.

Feige elaborated on the decision to have Rhodey portrayed as a Skrull, stating, "We wanted a character that audiences wouldn't suspect to be a Skrull. Don was enthusiastic about this twist and the opportunity to explore different facets of Rhodey that we haven't seen before."

Feige added, "We see our talented actors, like Don, as creative collaborators. We approached Don early on with this concept, and he embraced it, excited to portray different dimensions of Rhodey."

The lingering question now is, how long has Rhodey been a Skrull? Since The Falcon and the Winter Soldier? Avengers: Endgame? Captain America: Civil War? Iron Man 2?!

Feige teased that viewers will discover the answer in the remaining two episodes. "We wanted fans to go back and rewatch Rhodey's previous appearances, realizing that it wasn't really him. The truth about his tenure as a Skrull will be revealed soon."

New episodes of Marvel's Secret Invasion premiere on Disney+ every Wednesday.