It’s not exactly a secret—pun intended—that Secret Invasion is considered one of the worst MCU shows to date. Despite how much promise this series had, especially considering that it focused on the fan-favorite character Nick Fury, who is played by none other than the legendary actor Samuel L. Jackson, it turned out to be, unfortunately, fairly boring to watch. Worse still, Secret Invasion introduced a concept that was incredibly frustrating to many fans.
Namely, Secret Invasion revealed that many MCU characters had secretly been replaced by Skrulls at various points, some instances of which were considerably more frustrating than others because of what it potentially meant for the characters’ story arcs. These implications also largely still haven’t really been explored, as Secret Invasion proved to be rather unpopular, and the MCU has, understandably, seemed hesitant to revisit the show and its story details.
Among the most controversial reveals was that Rhodey, Iron Man’s close friend seen throughout the Iron Man and Avengers movies, had actually been a Skrull, seemingly since his injury in Captain America: Civil War. This was truly shocking, and it also potentially means that Rhodey missed the death of his dear friend Tony Stark. While that timeline is not technically confirmed, the idea has infuriated fans, and in addition to the notion that it ‘ruins’ his character, which many viewers have expressed, it also means that one of the best jokes in Avengers: Infinity War no longer makes sense.
Rhodey’s Prank on Bruce Banner Was Hilarious, But It No Longer Works
In Infinity War, when the Avengers visit Wakanda to ask for help with removing the Mind Stone from Vision’s head, there is a brief moment when they first walk off the ship in which Rhodey convinces Bruce Banner that he should bow to King T’Challa. However, when Bruce begins to do so, T’Challa tells Banner they don’t do that in Wakanda. In addition to Bruce awkwardly standing up and looking embarrassed, which is funny enough, Rhodey asks Bruce what he’s doing, acting like he has no role in Bruce bowing and Bruce is being ridiculous.
Notably, this joke works specifically because Rhodey is a Black character playfully tricking a white character into embarrassing himself in Wakanda. The racial component of that joke is, in particular, what makes it funny, and it’s legitimately a great joke. However, if Rhodey was indeed a Skrull at this point, as he seems to potentially have been, then this joke makes absolutely no sense and is, unfortunately, no longer funny at all. Considering that debates remain regarding when Rhodey was replaced by a Skrull, it’s possible that this joke wasn’t actually ruined, but signs sadly indicate that it was.
Secret Invasion Really Did Do Damage to the MCU
Unfortunately, Secret Invasion really was more than just a disappointing TV show. Because it had such significant effects on various characters, of which Rhodey is just one example, as well as other movies and shows, it will have a lasting impact. And, importantly, this lasting impact is one that the MCU can’t just ignore, although that does seem to be what the powers that be might be trying to do. It will be interesting to see how this plays out long-term.
Perhaps, like so many post-credits scenes after Avengers: Endgame, this will be yet another installment that the MCU just tries to skip over, including with no real in-depth exploration of what this means for Rhodey’s larger story. Of course, with many believing that the entire MCU will be rebooted after Avengers: Secret Wars, it’s possible that all of this will become more or less irrelevant in just a few years’ time. Even so, it remains disappointing that Secret Invasion seemingly undercut this otherwise brilliant Avengers: Infinity War joke.
