The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a lot of things going for it, but like any franchise, some of its decisions are hit-or-miss. One major problem facing the cinematic universe currently is the situation of Rhodey, aka War Machine. The best friend of the late Tony Stark and his partner in all things armored, Rhodey has participated in almost every major Avengers event since the team was first formed. However, he suffered a grievous injury during the events of Captain America: Civil War. During a fight among the Avengers, Rhodey was wounded so badly that he lost the use of his legs below the waist.

While this was a major moment in the movie and helped fuel the animosity between both sides of the Avengers, Rhodey was ultimately left with a life-altering new reality. Yet, in his later appearances in the MCU, the movies and shows seem to gloss over this fact. It is almost as if he was no longer paralyzed at all. Now granted, there is a logical explanation for this, but it is also a wasted opportunity to not focus on this as a major part of Rhodey’s character development moving forward. Marvel would do well to begin focusing more on his paralysis, especially since he will be the main character in its upcoming Armor Wars movie.

Rhodey Was One of Civil War’s Biggest Victims

Shortly after the battle against Ultron, in which the country of Sokovia was severely damaged by the literal fallout from the conflict, governments all across the world began wondering if leaving the Avengers as an unchecked, international superpower was a safe idea. These debates became full-on demands for regulation after another tragedy in which multiple Wakandan outreach workers were killed while the Avengers were trying to capture the terrorist known as Crossbones. With the world’s eyes on them and faced with the consequences of their own actions, the Avengers would either have to submit to government control and regulation or risk being considered criminals by the governments of the world.

Rhodey was in the camp in favor of signing these Sokovia Accords. He felt that the responsible thing to do with their power was to exist in a hierarchy. To him, the Avengers were still people capable of making mistakes, and working alongside people who might be able to provide better insight seemed like a good idea. Perhaps this was the military man in him wanting to bring a bit more structure to a group that, for the most part, has been reactionary in its efforts. However, well-meaning his decision was, it unfortunately coincided with Baron Zemo’s attempts to sabotage the Avengers. The enraged Sokovian was on a mission to manipulate the Avengers into killing each other. The Sokovia Accords was the perfect staging ground for his vengeance. He caused an explosion that killed a great many people and framed Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, for it. He knew it would put Captain America on the path to trying to save his friend, thus triggering a conflict between the Avengers who wanted to sign the Accords and those who did not.

The Avengers, unfortunately, fell for his ruse. Captain America went on the run with Bucky to clear his name and prevent what he perceived to be Zemo’s plan. This put him into conflict with Iron Man’s faction of the Avengers, and Rhodey assisted him in trying to detain Captain America, pursuing him as he escaped in a Quinjet. What no one could have expected was that Vision, who is usually so precise, would have a lapse in judgment. His concern for an injured Wanda Maximoff distracted him so much that he misjudged a blast he was aiming at Falcon. The beam hit Rhodey’s arc reactor, sending him plummeting out of the sky. Despite the best efforts of Iron Man and Falcon, Rhodey crashed, and the impact severely injured his spine and paralyzing him from the waist down.

How the MCU Completely Ignores Rhodey’s Paralysis

In the aftermath of the Avengers’ Civil War, Tony developed a set of leg braces to allow Rhodey to walk around. He was shown still adjusting to them by the movie’s end but gradually getting a handle on it. This little bit of support from his best friend explains how Rhodey is later able to move around. He would also incorporate this technology into his War Machine suit, allowing him to participate in battles alongside his allies. While this explains his ability to walk, it does not justify how his paralyzed condition is basically overlooked.

Now, fast-forward about two years later to when Thanos finally made his move to claim the rest of the Infinity Stones. Rhodey is seen running the Avengers and seems to be doing just fine. To an extent, this makes sense. Rhodey is a diligent man and likely used these two years to become accustomed to living with the braces. He wouldn’t mention it at every opportunity. It may not be ideal, but it is a part of his life now, and he has adapted well to it. In that regard, the MCU has done justice for Rhodey by not having him look at his paralysis as something that reduces him. In fact, he’s helped others with their misgivings, giving Nebula a slight boost regarding her cybernetic implants when stealing the Power Stone in Avengers: Endgame.

However, the complete lack of visibility for it is arguably just as problematic. Here is a major character with a disability, and it’s barely seen. One couldn’t be blamed for questioning whether it happened at all. Rhodey participated just as much as anyone else in the last films of Phase 3, but a major aspect of his day-to-day life is being ignored. Granted, he isn’t the main focus, so audiences can’t expect him to go over every facet of his life. There was barely even any mention of how he emotionally adapted to the situation. Rhodey was a very active person prior to his injury, so realizing that he had lost mobility in his legs must have been traumatizing in its own way. This was also overlooked by the MCU, robbing fans of an excellent chance to take a peek into Rhodey’s psychological journey as well as his physical one. Fortunately, Marvel has a chance to correct all of this in the future.

How Armor Wars Could Bring Up Rhodey’s Paralysis

With the knowledge that Rhodey would be the main character in the upcoming Armor Wars movie, this provides a unique opportunity to explore how having this disability affects Rhodey’s life. The movie itself will focus on Rhodey’s attempts to safeguard Tony Stark’s technology and legacy from those who would try to appropriate them for greedy reasons. It creates a scenario where Rhodey isn’t the side character to Tony’s grandiosity but someone who gets to show off his own intellect for the audience. There is even good evidence to support that Rhodey is more than just a gifted pilot.

Rhodey has been shown to wear a “brass rat” the school ring of MIT, suggesting he earned his Master’s Degree from a school famous for engineering. It demonstrates a high level of intellect that would have likely been overshadowed by Tony’s at the time, but nevertheless, is something Rhodey could lean upon in this movie. The leg brace would be a way to introduce these talents. With Tony gone, Rhodey would likely have to maintain the braces himself, making sure they remain functional and perhaps even upgrading them as time goes on. This assuming that he hasn’t already been doing it for some time now. Rhodey is independent of Tony, and it wouldn’t be too surprising if he learned how to maintain the braces himself in the years since his injury.

This would be a wonderful way to remind audiences that Rhodey is a man with a disability, but one who is determined and intelligent enough not to let it stop him from living his best life. There is a certain heroism in adapting to the hand that life deals people, and the fact that Rhodey has been there to help his friends save the world and the universe multiple times while he didn’t have proper use of his legs is simply amazing. He deserves to be recognized for this, and hopefully, the MCU will grant him this credit.