Secret Invasion: Looper Predicts Who Will Be A Skrull In Disguise
Hey, what good would a show called "Secret Invasion" be if there weren't at least a few secrets being kept hidden for the audience?
Based on the 2008 Marvel Comics event of the same name, the new Disney+ series dives into the espionage-laden dark corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and his cohorts uncover a conspiracy by an army of shape-shifting Skrulls to infiltrate world powers by impersonating humans. This gives it the same basic premise as the comic book crossover event, which rather shockingly revealed that the then-current Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew, had actually been a Skrull since 2004.
While the comics version was an Avengers event, though, the series is taking a more grounded approach. Nonetheless, with this many government officials and former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in the mix, it seems like a near-guarantee that we're going to see at least one or two major characters get revealed as being Skrulls (though probably no Spider-Woman this time — since, you know, she's not part of the MCU).
Which characters, though? While that currently remains a mystery, the staff of Looper put our heads together to come up with some possibilities, and here are our theories, from an all-star Avenger to a villainous Power Broker.
War Machine
James Rhodes, aka War Machine (Don Cheadle), has been part of the MCU since the very beginning. Sure, he went from being Terence Howard to Don Cheadle, but the character has nonetheless served as a conduit between superheroes and the United States government since Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) was building Iron Man suits out of scrap parts.
Why's he at risk? Because as of right now, he's the only Avenger to be part of the marketing materials for "Secret Invasion," and honestly, he'd be a genius target for the Skrulls to replace. Considering that "Secret Invasion" sees the Skrulls trying to take over every level of government, Rhodey's role as a high-ranking official (and one with Avengers ties) makes him a rather obvious target. Sure, Rhodey may not have any powers outside of his War Machine armor, but a Skrull taking his spot could use him to get close to heroes that do, and perhaps get some ideas or DNA for their big Super Skrull project.
A Rhodey reveal would massively raise the stakes for Nick Fury and his crew, as they race against the clock to stop someone with way, way too much info on everything they're doing. This twist would effectively make Rhodey the Spider-Woman of this particular adaptation, rocking the MCU to its core.
- Mike Bedard
Maria Hill
The post-credits scene in "Spider-Man: Far from Home" reveals Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and Nick Fury as the Skrulls Solen (Sharyn Blynn) and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn). Granted, the aliens were posing as Hill and Fury at the behest of the latter, but that doesn't mean other Skrulls can't steal their respective identities.
"Secret Invasion" is about powerful alien entities infiltrating Earth's most powerful institutions. It'd certainly make sense for them to pose as former high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agents with strong ties to Fury, the Avengers, and other important figures who are tasked with protecting Earth from dangerous threats. Someone like Hill, maybe? Think about it: she has always been a trustworthy, albeit inconspicuous, presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, meaning that she's the perfect person to be used in a Skrull plot to take over the world. After all, the best spies are the most unassuming people in the room.
Besides, Hill could actually benefit from becoming one of the evil Skrulls. She's a great character, but she's always been a supporting player in the MCU. An antagonistic role could make her more integral to the plot of "Secret Invasion" and give her some long-overdue character development. While speaking to TV Line, Smulders said that "Secret Invasion" adds more depth to Hill, noting that viewers can expect to see a more intimate side of the agent. However, maybe that intimacy will lead to some revelations about Hill harboring nefarious ambitions to make Earth a hotbed for green aliens.
- Kieran Fisher
Everett Ross
Of all the stern-faced "I'm not a Skrull!" characters currently rocking up to receive a skeptical glare from Nick Fury, Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) feels like the most likely human to be, uh, not human.
Yeah, it'd be a shock. I mean, it's bloody Bilbo Baggins, for Skrull's sake! Watson from "Sherlock." Tim from the original "The Office." He's always a nice guy. And that's exactly the point.
Imagine the access this potential alien-in-a-government suit could gain for the Skrulls. He was one of the first outsiders to step foot in Wakanda. He's got access to the files of many enhanced individuals, worldwide. The fallout that could occur if Everett Ross were revealed as an alien double-agent would be doubly huge if, as some have theorized, the original version of this Ross from the MCU is related in any way to Thunderbolt Ross (Harrison Ford) — which isn't the case in the comics, but would be fun to see play out here.
If Everett is, say, Thunderbolt's son, the revelation of him being Skrull-swapped would provoke a volatile reaction from the big guy. Such a damning attack on the country's security could send Thunderbolt Ross into overdrive anyway, but using one of his own family members to do it could send him over the edge (just in time for him to go all Red Hulk in "Captain America: Brave New World." If "Secret Invasion" really is going to shake up the MCU, this could be the way to do it.
- Nick Staniforth
Another Skrull is pretending to be Talos
Who is the only Skrull we've actually gotten to know well in the MCU? Talos. Who has been set up to clearly be a positive supporting element in the larger MCU storyline? Talos. Who was literally so impressive that Nick Fury had him impersonate him while he was off in space? Talos. Talos. Talos.
The last time we saw a significant amount of Talos (in his own skin) was in "Captain Marvel." In that film, he tells Carol Danvers that his hands are filthy from war. If his hands are filthy, doesn't it stand to reason that not just Kree but also other Skrulls could be out to get him? Let's assume Talos is in an awkward position in the series (which, with his strong allegiances to both Nick Fury and his own people, is highly probable). It doesn't seem to be too much of a stretch to say that one of the undisclosed Skrulls has a beef with Talos' waffling loyalties. This could inspire them to pop on his face and impersonate the alien who masqueraded as Nick Fury.
Besides, audiences will be looking for clues and suspecting everyone along the way. What better way to subvert expectations than by having one of the shapeshifters themselves be the imposter? Plus, having multiple characters in the Talos form means we get more of Ben Mendelsohn on the screen — which is a win for everybody.
- Jaron Pak
President Ritson
The MCU features a different lineup of U.S. presidents than what we're accustomed to here in the real world. Obama was president at some point, as referenced on "Luke Cage," but he was succeeded by Matthew Ellis (William Sadler). A lot of years have passed since Ellis was last seen, though, and either his term has ended or the Blip was not kind to him, because Ellis is no longer the head honcho in "Secret Invasion." No, that honor belongs to some guy named Ritson (Dermot Mulroney), whose first name is currently unknown.
Prez Ritz was "officially" revealed through a series of set photos leaked on Instagram, one of which depicts the character appearing on the front of a newspaper. The newspaper in question clearly states an undefined tension between North America and the United Kingdom. Given that Ritson is shrouded in mystery — Mulroney's IMDb doesn't even list his character name yet — and that he's debuting in a miniseries about genetically enhanced espionage, there's literally no way he's not a Skrull in disguise.
The case against Riston becomes even more compelling when contextualized with a few choice comments made by a different president, Marvel's Kevin Feige, who told Entertainment Weekly that Thaddeus Ross will be the President of the United States by the time "Thunderbolts" hits theaters in 2024. Unless Marvel's more family-friendly "Suicide Squad" variant is going to take place in the distant future, that means that something will cut Ritson's tenure in the oval office short ... something like secretly being an alien hellbent on global destabilization, maybe? Because that would do it.
- Cameron Roy Hall
Sharon Carter might well be the missing link in the Skull Army
When it comes to friendly faces who could be used to infiltrate Earthling society, Sharon Carter seems like an obvious choice. A formerly trusted S.H.I.E.L.D agent who has become a major force in the criminal underworld, Sharon's heel turn is immense — and, given fan response to her reveal as the Power Broker, a Skrull reveal could heal the damage.
Sharon's behavior in "The Falcon and the Winter Solider" already felt out of character. It's hard to understand why a woman painted as such a straight arrow in her first couple of appearances would turn to a life of crime simply because she'd been exiled to Madripoor without further resources after helping out Steve Rogers. Marvel heroes have faced down worse without junking their whole value system. The fact that she's still holding a grudge against S.H.I.E.L.D. when all of her crimes have been expunged, well, it doesn't feel like proper character development.
So why not explain it all away as Skrull trickery? Whether the real Sharon actually did fall victim to the Snap and is being held somewhere, or she died and a Skrull's wearing her face, it would make more sense than anything else the MCU has served up in her recent storyline.
- Melissa Lemieux
Star-Lord
The end of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" has Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) return home to Earth, where he reunites with his grandfather. And the film's final credits scene teases that the character will return again in the MCU, despite the fact that the "Guardians" subseries is (in all likelihood) over and done with. "Secret Invasion" is a story about aliens attacking Earth, and as such, Peter Quill would be a perfect fit. He has all the cosmic knowledge you could want, experience battling a range of extraterrestrial threats, and he just happens to be at the right place at the right time to give Nick Fury a hand.
Of course, Pratt may be too big of a star for a supporting role in a Disney+ series that already has a massive cast. That's why a small, bait-and-switch cameo would work perfectly. Picture this: About midway through "Secret Invasion," Fury is cornered in a warehouse somewhere outside Lake Tahoe. He reaches into his pocket for a Nature Valley granola bar, but alas, he dropped his last one while running from King Skrull. Drat. The sounds of evil footsteps rap, rap, rap on the metal roof overhead. He checks his gun — just two bullets left. He'd better make them count...
Then, out of nowhere, a series of laser blasts echo from the great beyond. A hole explodes in the warehouse roof, and who should descend on his rocket-powered feet than Star-Lord himself. "Someone order an alien sandwich?" he jokes in that classic Star-Lord charm. But then his entire body convulses horrifically and he transforms into a Skrull spy who chases Fury, because that's all that Pratt's busy schedule would allow. What a twist, eh?
- Rick Stevenson
Chloe Bennet (Ralph Bohner-style)
As long as "Secret Invasion" has been a thing, there have been rumors that Chloe Bennet will show up. Her "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." character Daisy Johnson may not have appeared in the show's trailers, but fans will no doubt hold up hope until the very last second of the series finale (and possibly beyond). So, let's call it right now: Marvel will totally give fans what they want, and Bennet will appear in the show...
... you know, just like how Evan Peters' Quicksilver appeared in "WandaVision."
Remember that one? Huge plot twist. A solid couple of weeks of mind-boggling speculation. "Dang, are they really going to give us an 'X-Men' crossover in a Disney+ show?" But of course, they didn't. Instead of good old Fox Quicksilver, "WandaVision" gave us Ralph Boehner, a brainwashed joke character who just so happened to conveniently resemble the guy everyone secretly hoped to see. With "Secret Invasion" gearing up to be at least as twisty as "WandaVision" ever was, it'd make almost too much sense for Marvel to go back to the well and revisit what just might be its biggest bait-and-switch to date. As such, feel free to expect Bennet to make an appearance ... just don't be surprised if she turns out to play "S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Impersonator Skrull #5" instead of Daisy.
- Pauli Poisuo