There Are Actually 28 Heroes War Machine Hasn't Met In The MCU

As an armored adventurer, Avenger, and member of the United States Air Force, Colonel James Rupert "Rhodey" Rhodes, aka War Machine, has had the chance to meet many of his fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe heroes. Aside from regularly partnering with Iron Man and the OG Avengers, War Machine has fought alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Dora Milaje, and Wong and Doctor Strange. He has also, like most heroes, crossed paths with Nick Fury, and even met the original Ant-Man and the Wasp (Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne) at Tony Stark's funeral.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a pretty big place, however, and new heroes are introduced all the time. As a result, it probably isn't astonishing to hear that Rhodey, despite his many connections, hasn't met every major do-gooder. We're here to take a look at the 28 MCU heroes War Machine hasn't met yet, from newcomers to mainstays — including a few he likely won't ever meet.

Despite having been part of the MCU since "Iron Man," its very first movie, War Machine has never met any version of Loki, god of mischief and would-be ruler of Earth. How can this possibly be, you ask? Well, Rhodey is absent when the other Avengers (who aren't Thor) meet Loki in "The Avengers." He never goes on to meet the original Loki, nor his reformed variant, star of the Disney+ "Loki" series. In a way, Rhodey is lucky — he's never had to deal with Loki at his worst, and still has a chance of meeting the trickster god at his best ... even though heroism is still something quite new for him.

Xu Shang-Chi meets Captain Marvel and a mysteriously back-to-normal Bruce Banner via holographic communication in his first movie, but he has yet to meet War Machine. It's probably only a matter of time, however. Rhodey and Shang-Chi are both pretty down-to-Earth people, so they'll likely be fast friends. War Machine may be surprised to learn that Shang-Chi is the son of the Mandarin, infamous leader of the Ten Rings, an organization Tony Stark has a pretty sordid history with. But Rhodey won't hold that against Shang-Chi, just as he doesn't judge Tony for being forced to make weapons for the group against his will.

War Machine and Monica Rambeau already have a few things in common. First off, Rhodey serves in the United States Air Force, just like Monica's mother, Maria Rambeau, did. He and Monica also both work for the government, as Monica is employed by S.W.O.R.D., an organization Maria established. Rhodey's old Avengers boss, Nick Fury, even recruits Monica at the end of "WandaVision" to handle certain Skrull-related matters. It's very possible that she'll run into War Machine at some point, as he's dealt with a few alien incursions himself. No projects featuring both characters have been announced yet, but seeing as Monica becomes the Avengers' leader for a time in the comics, the chances of them serving together seem pretty good.

While Rhodey is pretty familiar with Natasha Romanoff, he has yet to make the acquaintance of her adoptive sister, Yelena Belova. Should they cross paths in person, it might initially be as enemies. Valentina Allegra de Fontaine has approached Yelena about hunting down War Machine's teammate, Hawkeye, even telling her that Natasha's demise is on the bowman's hands. This is a very revisionist interpretation of "Avengers: Endgame," but it might be an effective one for the calculating countess' needs.

In some ways, War Machine and Peggy Carter are each other's counterparts. They both serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, for one thing. But what's especially notable to MCU fans is the fact that they've both worked alongside members of the Stark family. Carter and Howard Stark were regular collaborators throughout World War II and beyond, while James Rhodes is Iron Man's best friend and a frequent liaison between Stark Industries and the military. Should Rhodey ever go on another time travel adventure, it'd be great to see him meet Peggy. The two could team up and compare Stark stories, as well as share their respective experiences with serving in the military.

As a man who constantly puts his life on the line for a higher purpose, War Machine probably wouldn't find much in common with a self-interested pirate like Yondu Udonta. That said, Rhodey might respect Yondu's fatherly love for Star-Lord. He could also be impressed by how Yondu handles his Yaka Arrow. Sadly, Yondu's demise in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" makes the chances of him and War Machine ever meeting pretty low, though Peter Quill probably has the perfect song for such an encounter ready to go. Had Yondu survived, he'd have met War Machine in the climactic battle of "Avengers: Endgame," where both the Guardians and the Ravagers are present.

Sure, John Walker isn't War Machine's top choice for Captain America. But that doesn't mean Rhodey doesn't respect the troubled soldier, or Lemar Hoskins, aka Battlestar, the man who serves alongside him. Like Rhodey, Hoskins has an impressive military career to his name (albeit in the Army, rather than the Air Force) and knows a thing or two about keeping his best friend grounded. Moreover, Hoskins is an honorable man, concerned with doing the right thing and making his country proud. While Rhodey won't be able to meet Hoskins, as Karli Morgenthau tragically kills him in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," we can solidly bet Rhodey would have enjoyed his company.

Rhodey is generally portrayed as committed to his country and the law, being both a military officer and having sided with the pro-registration Avengers in "Captain America: Civil War." However, meeting Isaiah Bradley would undeniably remind him of some uncomfortable truths about the United States. Bradley and his fellow Black recipients of the Super Soldier Serum were treated atrociously during the Cold War. Much like Sam Wilson, Rhodey would likely work hard to make sure Bradley receives the recognition and respect he deserves.

Though Rhodey does appear in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," he doesn't stick around long enough to run into John Walker, whose journey to becoming U.S. Agent begins with his botched tenure as Captain America. Rhodey would certainly admire Walker's resume and push him to do his best. However, he'd probably be wary of the sometimes-questionable lengths Walker goes to, in pursuit of the latter goal. Rhodey would also not enjoy Walker's short-tempered moments, or the times he lets his ego get the better of him.

Rhodey might be a bit more serious than Tony Stark, but that doesn't mean he lacks a sense of humor. He'd probably get a big kick out of the Red Guardian's over-the-top bravado and enthusiasm, and would surely laugh at Alexei's boasts of being the Soviet Union's answer to Captain America. While Shostakov might not necessarily be thrilled by this mockery, he'd likely handle it well, given his friendly nature. Sure, one might think the Red Guardian would view War Machine as an enemy, given Rhodey's association with the American military. But Shotakov's falling out with General Dreykov and his complicity in destroying the Red Room might have softened his pro-Soviet leanings.

War Machine might have never met Loki, but he's well aware of the trickster's reputation and nefarious deeds. Even meeting Loki of the TVA could be a little tense as a result. There is one Loki, however, who Rhodey might get along with, given her own disdain for other Lokis: Sylvie. But while Rhodey might sympathize with her war against the TVA (and appreciate her disinterest in ruling the universe), he'd likely draw the line at Sylvie's cavalier (and even borderline gleeful) slaughter of Minutemen. He'd probably approve even less of Sylvie's decision to kill He Who Remains, as that choice seems to have placed the Multiverse in peril.

While Shang-Chi is typically called the Master of Kung Fu in the comics (though he knows many more fighting styles than that), his sister, Xu Xialing, introduced in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," is her own force to be reckoned with. Meeting her would put War Machine in a fairly complicated position, as Xialing has assumed leadership of the Ten Rings, the group that kidnapped and harmed Rhodey's best friend, Tony Stark. While the Ten Rings ends up siding with our heroes to vanquish the Dweller-in-Darkness, it's hard to say to what extent Xialing can turn the organization around for good. Their alliance with Ta Lo is primarily one of convenience, though she seems quite comfortable as the group's leader already. For now, whether she'd be a friend, foe, or something in between to War Machine remains to be seen.

Given Heimdall's noble sacrifice in "Avengers: Infinity War," the chances he and War Machine might ever meet are sadly remote. The easiest way the two could have met while Heimdall was still alive would have been for Heimdall to teleport War Machine to Asgard — the guardian of the Bifrost isn't usually one to leave his post. Heimdall never has reason to do so, however: Rhodey isn't forced to accompany Thor to his glittering home, nor is he summoned by the Asgardians under atypical circumstances.

Despite her multiple visits to Earth (or, as Asgardians call it, Midgard), Sif has yet to meet War Machine, or most of the non-Thor Avengers. Sif's current whereabouts are also a bit of a mystery, as she hasn't been seen in the present for some time. She's likely still active somewhere, however: Since she was one of the victims of Thanos' snap, as the Russos explained to HuffPost, we can assume she was brought back during the Blip. Should Sif reunite with the remaining Asgardians on Earth, a meeting with War Machine could definitely be in the cards.

War Machine has probably learned a whole lot about the Black Widow program from Natasha Romanoff. However, he could learn even more from Melina Vostokoff, given her decades of experience. Some might consider labelling Melina a "hero" to be a bit of a stretch, considering her role in developing methods to manipulate her fellow Black Widows' minds. But, like the Red Guardian and her adoptive daughters, Melina also helps put an end to the dastardly program. That fact, plus her kinder personality traits, could lead to a friendship with Rhodey.

While Rhodey comes from the "main" reality of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ying Nan comes from Ta Lo, a city that exists in a dimension where magic and legends have a strong presence. A noble, generous individual, Ying Nan is probably somebody Rhodey would like, should their paths ever cross. While she can't necessarily teach him how to manipulate air while he fights — at least not outside of Ta Lo — Ying Nan could show him some of the moves and principles she teaches her nephew, Shang-Chi. She could also introduce Rhodey to Ta Lo's mystical elements, perhaps even encouraging the tech-centric hero to embrace the supernatural.

Unlike Ying Nan, her sister, Ying Li has spent a fair amount of time in Ta Lo and Rhodey's home reality, thanks to her relationship with the Mandarin. Sadly, she's murdered several years before Rhodey becomes active as War Machine, throwing a wrench into any chances of them meeting. This is a real pity: Despite their divergent worlds and War Machine's distance from mystical matters, the two warriors share a strong commitment to protecting their respective homes. Just as Rhodey defends the planet, Ying Li protects the entrance to her city.

The only Avenger who's met the famed Howling Commandos is Captain America, who teams up with them in "Captain America: The First Avenger." Given how many decades have passed since then, however, it's safe to say that most of the group has put their adventuring days behind them. That said, Rhodey could definitely encounter a Howling Commando or two at a military event. Funnily enough, the Commandos also have quite a history with a certain rich pal of Rhodey's in the comics: Tony Stark helps create, supply, and even lead S.H.I.E.L.D. in the ink-and-paper Marvel Universe, whose roster has included several former Commandos.

While War Machine has met Doctor Strange and Wong, he's never been able to meet the Ancient One, as Kaecilius murders her in "Doctor Strange." That said, there are still ways he could encounter the mystic: The Hulk, for instance, meets her when he goes back in time in "Avengers: Endgame" to retrieve the Time Stone. Alternately, he could ask Doctor Strange to contact her spirit through esoteric means. However, it seems unlikely that Rhodey, a man far removed from the world of magic, would do so, unless he had a really compelling reason.

Volstagg, Hogun, and Fandral have visited Earth, but before being killed by Hela in "Thor: Ragnarok," they don't really make a habit of it. For that reason, it's pretty unsurprising they've never met Rhodey. With Thor having left Earth entirely and the Warriors Three slain by the goddess of death, it seems even less likely they'll ever make War Machine's acquaintance. However, as those who read the comics know, being killed off isn't always the end for denizens of Asgard.