Don Cheadle, the American actor, and producer who played a crucial role in Ali Selim’s recent MCU series, Secret Invasion, subtly conveyed his disapproval of the current MCU filmography. Amidst the series receiving scathing remarks from fans, he recently responded to a critical tweet that indicated the decline of the cinematic universe.
Actor Don Cheadle Supports Anti-MCU Post
In the post-Avengers: Endgame era, MCU fans have become more critical of the franchise, with many expressing that the franchise is not as good as before. Marvel is one of the most popular and phenomenal franchises in the world, once maintained its popularity beyond the box office receipts and consistency of the quality of the film content it released.
Don Cheadle, following the release of The Secret Invasion, liked a tweet that appeared to criticize the MCU, referencing the apparent downfall of the franchise’s popularity and appeal in the past few years. The post appeared from the account of @filippoq01, who quote-retweeted a clip for Rhodey’s Skrull imposter reveal from one of the episodes with the caption, “7 years ago, people would’ve gone crazy for this reveal, btw.“
7 years ago people would’ve gone crazy for this reveal btw https://t.co/LlRqMH9xIS
— Filippo 🇨🇦 (@filippoq01) July 13, 2023
The reaction of Cheadle’s explicit support to the anti-MCU post elevates curiosity among the fans. Being one of the actors that have been given an integral presence in the superhero film franchise since 2010’s Iron Man 2, it’s surprising he would openly acknowledge a post meant to criticize the MCU while continuing to be a part of it.
Although the meaning behind the post is still unclear, it appears that the user is alluding to the fact that interest in MCU projects was higher seven years ago than today, and such major reactions would have drawn a lot of larger responses.
Don Cheadle’s Commitment to MCU’s Secret Invasion
Don Cheadle, who plays James Rhodes/War Machine, has given his all to Secret Invasion. In the series, it was revealed that Rhodey had been replaced by a Skrull named Raava since Captain America: Civil War. Don Cheadle was involved in shaping this twist, contributing his acting skills and logic to the character’s transformation. Marvel Studio President Kevin Feige revealed his confirmation that Cheadle was on board with the decision to explore this surprising revelation.
“We needed to have a character that one would not expect to be a Skrull… Don [Cheadle] was on board for this reveal of playing and revealing another side of Rhodey and revealing that, yeah, Rhodey has been a Skrull.”
His dedication to the franchise reaffirms the upcoming stand-alone movie debut with Armor Wars, which has yet to set an official release date.
MCU Faces Criticism: Ambiguity and Mixed Reactions Prevail
Likewise, the Secret Invasion finale, in particular, garnered a lot of criticism from viewers because it abandoned the espionage and slow-burn plot in favor of a hasty show that ended with a meaningless battle scene. On Rotten Tomatoes, the Secret Invasion finale has a score of 8% right now. Director Ali Selim reacted to the reviews, saying,
“I don’t know—is it our job to fulfill their expectations? Or to tell the story that we’re telling? So, it’s a tricky thing. I would love it if everybody loved it, but I also don’t have that expectation myself, so I feel great about the response to it”.
It is evident from the recent tweets that the marvelous journey of the franchise, with successful movies like Iron Man, Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange, and Avengers: Infinity War, has lost its ability to impress the audience as before. With the CGI, poor narrative, lack of original heroes, large output of content, handling of the Disney+ series, and mixed drive in the Multiverse Saga direction, MCU has been subjected to plenty of criticism lately.
The introduction of new characters in the Multiverse Saga has resulted in ambiguity about their future appearances, leading to a lack of clarity in the broader scope of the MCU narrative. With a promising second season of Loki and Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels, fans can anticipate that MCU can regain its momentum and return to delivering consistently impressive or above-average projects.
Also Read: Secret Invasion Finale Sets Up the Darkest Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man Story With a Tragic Revelation
Source: The Direct
Frequently asked questions
What did Don Cheadle do to suggest he was unhappy with Marvel after Secret Invasion?
According to the article, Cheadle liked a July 2023 tweet from the account @filippoq01 that criticized the MCU’s fading impact. The tweet quote-retweeted a clip of Rhodey’s Skrull reveal with the caption that 7 years ago people would have gone crazy for it. The piece reads his like as quietly signaling dissatisfaction, but Cheadle has not publicly said he is unhappy, so this is an interpretation of a single social-media like rather than a confirmed statement.
What was revealed about Rhodey/War Machine in Secret Invasion?
The series revealed that James Rhodes had been secretly replaced by a Skrull, identified in the show as one named Raava, going back to Captain America: Civil War. The article notes Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed Don Cheadle was on board for the reveal, with Feige saying they needed a character no one would expect to be a Skrull.
How was Secret Invasion received, and what comes next for War Machine?
The article notes the Secret Invasion finale drew heavy criticism for trading its slow-burn espionage tone for a rushed battle, citing an 8% Rotten Tomatoes score for the finale at the time of writing. A War Machine-focused movie, Armor Wars, has been announced with Cheadle, but the article states it had no official release date at the time of writing, so any release window reported elsewhere should be treated as unconfirmed.
