Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Secret Invasion and The Marvels
Summary
- The MCU’s “Secret Invasion” disappointed fans with its lack of tension, surprises, and meaningful scale, failing to live up to its namesake in the original Marvel Comics.
- “The Marvels” has set up a new opportunity for a more interesting and intense “Secret Invasion” story in the MCU’s future, thanks to the introduction of more Skrulls on Earth and the potential for fear and growing distrust among them.
- The finale of “Secret Invasion” teased a far more compelling story, with human vigilantes attacking suspected aliens and The Marvels’ confirmation that New Asgard is now harboring Skrulls, setting up a situation where Earth’s heroes and population will be in fear of those who might have been replaced. A new “Secret Invasion” series could tell a bigger story with a stronger resolution.
The MCU already has the perfect opportunity to reboot Secret Invasion, 2023’s most disappointing crossover. Unfortunately, the show starring Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury did very little to live up to its namesake from the original Marvel Comics. However, there is a chance for Marvel Studios to correct their mistake thanks to the show’s finale and some key elements featured in The Marvels.
Named after the iconic comics crossover where Marvel’s superhero community ran rampant with paranoia due to a massive Skrull invasion within their own ranks, expectations were high for the on-screen version of Secret Invasion focused on Nick Fury. It certainly seemed as though Fury would have been in a position to prevent the same kind of infiltration from happening in the MCU. However, the series itself proved to be a much smaller affair with very little tension or surprises one would expect from a series about shape-shifting aliens hiding among humanity. However, The Marvels has hopefully set up a far more interesting Secret Invasion story in the MCU’s future.
The Marvels Made A New Secret Invasion Possible
More Skrulls Are Coming To Earth (Thanks To New Asgard)
The MCU’s Secret Invasion featured the major reveal that the Earth is currently home to over a million Skrulls hiding in secret, having no other world to call their own thanks to the Kree-Skrull War along with Nick Fury and Captain Marvel’s 30-year-old unkept promise to find them a new homeworld. However, Fury’s biggest Skrull ally Talos did reveal that there was a colony of Skrulls traveling through the stars under the leadership of Emperor Dro’ge. To that end, this refugee colony is featured in The Marvels who were residing on the planet Tarnax IV in the hopes of making it their official home.
After Tarnax IV is tragically decimated by the Kree Supremor Dar-Benn, those who were evacuated and saved by Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau were then escorted to Earth by none other than King Valkyrie of New Asgard. Because the Asgardians are also refugee aliens living on Earth following the destruction of Asgard as seen in Thor: Ragnarok, it’s logical that they would be sympathetic to the plight of the Skrulls. However, this also opens the door for a brand-new version of Secret Invasion (one that could be much bigger).
Valkyrie taking the Skrulls to Earth effectively resets Secret Invasion’s ending where they’d have to live in secret again. Furthermore, Captain Marvel’s actions lead to more of them dying via Dar-Benn’s attack on Tarnax, so there could also be new elements of fear and growing distrust among the Skrulls. This could perhaps lead to another rogue faction looking to infiltrate and take over Earth, albeit one that’s grander in scale and focused on the replacement of actual superheroes as seen on the page (unlike Secret Invasion’s villain Gravik who simply tried to start WWIII and turned himself into a Super-Skrull).
The MCU Already Set Up A Better Secret Invasion
The Finale Teased A Far More Interesting Story
Secret Invasion ended with human vigilantes attacking suspected aliens following President Ritson’s address and his emergency bill designating all “off-world born species” as enemy combatants. As such, this would certainly apply to the residents of New Agard as much as any Skrull hiding as a human on Earth. The situation is now even more complicated thanks to The Marvels’ confirmation that New Asgard is now harboring Skrulls as well.
Skrulls on Earth are being hunted, essentially flipping the comics’ Secret Invasion story while still delivering on the idea that Earth’s heroes (and the general population) will be in fear of those who might have been replaced, especially if there are both good and bad Skrulls. Overall, the foundation for this future idea is far more interesting. Likewise, Nick Fury and Gi’ah stopped Gravik’s Super-Skrull and prevented WWIII but controversially left the Skrulls in a situation where they were arguably worse off than they already were in the MCU. A new Secret Invasion series needs to be made so that a bigger story can be told with a stronger resolution.
Why Secret Invasion Was Such A Disaster For The MCU
The Show Didn’t Live Up To Its Name
Unfortunately, the MCU’s Secret Invasion suffered from challenging pacing and a lack of meaningful scale. This was combined with very little being offered in the way of surprises from a show that was expected to have been full of tension, paranoia, and ongoing mystery surrounding Skrulls and whose faces they might have taken (not to mention the show’s controversial use of AI). Secret Invasion should have been a full-on crossover with multiple superhero appearances, not unlike Captain America: Civil War which many refer to as “Avengers 2.5″. With any luck, a new Secret Invasion story in the MCU will have the same level of intensity and scale, picking up the threads left by the original Secret Invasion finale and The Marvels.