'Avengers: Endgame' writers had once wanted to put James Rhodes in the White House and their plan could still be a possibility

The Marvel Cinematic Universe underwent a great many changes in the five years after Thanos’ snap. From Bruce Banner’s intelligence merging with his Hulk form to Tony starting a family, the MCU was quite a different place. There were other changes that did not make it to screen, but one of the biggest ones was the idea that Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes, the Iron Patriot, was to become the Vice President of the United States. This was revealed to ComicBook.com on Thursday by writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. 

"We took it out because it didn't have any story weight, but I believe that during one draft, in the five-year jump, Rhodey became vice president," Markus told ComicBook.com. "Vice President Rhodey." 

There are no set plans for Marvel to feature Rhodes in the White House in the future, but that doesn’t mean that the idea is completely off the table. "It's not like [Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige] said, 'You know what, we had a meeting and we're going to have these three streaming services, so let's make sure...'" Markus said. 'No, if anything, I don't know what all the streaming shows are, but it feels like they might come off of Endgame in some ways, but at no point did anybody say, 'That's what we should do, so therefore, sprinkle that in.'"

This would not be the character’s first brush with the White House. In the comics, back in ‘Civil War II #0’ by Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel, the President of the United States offered Rhodey a position as the Secretary of Defence, before hinting that the position could be an eventual stepping stone to the president’s own job. Sadly, Rhodes was killed in that same issue but has since returned. 

What are your thoughts on James Rhodes becoming Vice President? Share your thoughts in the comments.