Rumors have abounded lately of the genocidal robot Ultron's return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the upcoming Armor Wars project. The possibility is exciting, not only because of the chance to see James Spader in the role again but because it gives one of The Avengers' biggest villains a chance for better development. His debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron was promising but left a great deal on the table. Armor Wars may be the perfect project to resurrect him.
The biggest beneficiary of such a move, however, might not be Ultron at all but his presumed Armor Wars nemesis Jim Rhodes. Tony Stark's best friend never received his proper due in the MCU, an oversight that the new movie looks to correct. If his job in Armor Wars is to deal with the fallout of Tony's technology being in the wrong hands, then Ultron is the ideal villain to help him shine.
Ultron's Only MCU Appearance Was a Mixed Bag
Ultron generates mixed feelings among some MCU fans. While Spader's witty performance remains a favorite, the franchise as a whole treated him as a one-off villain: destroyed at the end of Age of Ultron and yet to return to the Prime MCU. That, and the film's reputation as a fair-to-middling outing, left a lot of wasted potential. The villain's long and colorful history as a major Avenger nemesis in the comics only heightens that impression.
Ironically, Jim Rhodes occupies a similar position in Age of Ultron. After making a splashy entrance as War Machine in Iron Man 2, Rhodey rapidly faded into the background, playing, at best, a peripheral part in subsequent productions. Except for the party scene early in the film and a few bits of exposition, he stays offscreen until the climactic battle, where he's largely relegated to clean-up duties on the periphery. The same holds true for Captain America: Civil War, where he mostly follows Tony's play rather than standing alone as his own hero.
Ultron's Return Would Benefit War Machine as a Character
Like Ultron, the hero deserves better. Rhodey's history in the comics includes a stint as Iron Man himself, and with Tony gone, he's presumably the heir apparent to Iron Man's legacy. Armor Wars is clearly a way for him to step into his own and save the world without the help of his fellow Avengers. It's also a chance for Rhodey to explore his relationship with Tony, as well as grapple with his departed friend's shortcomings.
In light of that, Ultron makes an outstanding choice for a returning villain. He carries lingering resentment against Tony, which would naturally put him in conflict with Rhodey. He also constitutes a threat worthy of the hero: giving The Avengers all they could handle in Age of Ultron and coming perilously close to destroying all life on Earth. That makes Rhodey outgunned from the start, making him a readily identifiable underdog and providing an ample challenge to prove himself against a foe that Tony couldn't defeat on his own. It also gives the pair an instant history that Armor Wars can build on instead of spending screen time building up another villain in his stead.
The MCU seems to understand that there's more to Ultron's story than has yet been told, and the first season of What If…? scored a big success by making a variant version of the killer robot its big villain. Whether Armor Wars features a similar variant or resurrects the original version in some manner, it gives the saga another opportunity to develop him further. But even more than Ultron, it's Rhodey who stands to benefit. Armor Wars is intended to give one of the most overlooked Avengers a proper spotlight. His late buddy's robotic archenemy might just be the perfect way to do it.