13 Characters Emilia Clarke Might Play In Marvel's Secret Invasion
Based on the 2005 comic book event miniseries "Secret Invasion," the upcoming Marvel six episode series on Disney+ will reveal "a sect of Skrulls that has infiltrated every level of life on Earth" in preparation for a takeover of the planet. The original comic book involved nearly every superhero in the Marvel universe, big and small, and saw many mainstays revealed to have been Skrulls for quite some time, in a series of shocking twists that rocked the comics world. It saw the long-awaited return of the original Captain Marvel, and it shook up the status quo by turning Norman Osborn from villain to hero, ultimately making him the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Sam Jackson will be returning as Nick Fury, and Ben Mendelsohn is back as the Skrull Talo from "Captain Marvel." An already announced supporting cast includes Olivia Colman ("The Crown"), Cobie Smolders ("Avengers"), and Kingsley Ben-Adir ("The OA"), in unspecified roles. However, it's "Game Of Thrones" star Emilia Clarke that has fans buzzing.
But if she can nab the right role, she is poised to become the next big superhero star, with a part that could see an ongoing role in the future of the MCU. So who could she be playing in "Secret Invasion"? We've got some thoughts on the matter.
Spider-Woman/Jessica Drew
One of Marvel's longtime spider-heroes, and one that has yet to make her on-screen debut, Jessica Drew has no formal relation to Peter Parker or Spider-Man. Instead, she received her powers from an experimental serum and genetic experiments she'd unknowingly been subjected to by the High Evolutionary. Years later, she would be brainwashed by a villain called Mentallo, and join the terrorist organization HYDRA, becoming one of their top operatives thanks to her extraordinary spider-powers that include wall-crawling abilities, advanced healing, and deadly "venom blasts."
During the "Secret Invasion" storyline in the comics it was revealed that Spider-Woman had been abducted by the Skrulls, and for two years she had been impersonated by the aliens in preparation for an invasion and takeover of Earth. She played a key role in the storyline, and if the story is to be faithfully be translated into the MCU, it's likely that a version of this character could appear.
Unfortunately, "Spider-Woman" is said to be part of Sony's licensing of the "Spider-Man" universe of characters, and talk has already begun that they may be working on a movie of their own for the character. Still, it's possible that, like Quicksilver, Marvel might have some rights to the character. If so, perhaps Marvel could portray Jessica Drew as a non-powered S.H.I.E.L.D. agent rather than Spider-Woman if the contracts allow.
Queen Veranke
In the comic book version of the "Secret Invasion" storyline, numerous Marvel characters were kidnapped and replaced by shapeshifting Skrull duplicates. But it wasn't just nameless foot soldiers who went undercover on Earth to prep the planet for takeover, as the Skrull queen Veranke got in on the fun too. As the primary antagonist of the story, and orchestrator of the invasion itself, Veranke took on the guise of none other than our previous entry Spider-Woman, who was a member of both HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D.
As a near certainty to appear in the series, Queen Veranke's story may be modified for the screen if Marvel can't use Jessica Drew, whether due to rights issues or other reasons, and have her forego the undercover assignment. Clarke would make an intimidating version of the green queen who sits atop the greatest alien army the MCU has ever seen.
With a star-studded cast that also includes Oscar-winner Olivia Colman and "True Detective" star Carmen Ejogo, it's anyone's guess who will play the Skrull leader. With Colman and Clarke both having experience playing royalty (on "The Crown" and "Game Of Thrones," respectively), we'd put good money on Veranke being played by one of these two. Though Colman — whose powerful presence as an actress would be a good match for the dominant alien overseer — may be a better fit, it's hard to deny that Clarke would excel in the part as well.
Elisabeth "Betsy" Braddock
Betsy Braddock may be better known to some as Psylocke, the psychic dagger wielding mutant whose ninja prowess made her a formidable assassin, and whose popularity was at its peak in the 1990s when Jim Lee was artist on "Uncanny X-Men." But before she was Psylocke — and more recently — she was Betsy Braddock, twin sister of Brian Braddock, AKA Captain Britain, sometimes going by the superhero moniker of Lady Briton. A telepath with powerful mental abilities, she was a skilled fighter even before her consciousness was transplanted into the body of a Japanese ninja.
Though Braddock — as Psylocke or Lady Briton — played no major role in the "Secret Invasion" storyline, her brother Captain Britain did, most notably in a side story that saw him team up with MI-13, Marvel's fictional super soldier spy team in the UK. If Marvel is working on bringing Captain Britain to the MCU, setting Clarke up as his sister Betsy Braddock might be a way of dipping their toe that lore if they're not yet ready to introduce Captain Britain. Bringing Braddock into the MCU in "Secret Invasion" as a member of S.W.O.R.D. or even a Skrull agent could be an intriguing possibility for the character, and for Emilia Clarke who would be well set-up for an ongoing role.
Jewel/Jessica Jones
Another Marvel hero who was revealed to be a Skrull was the lesser known super heroine called Jewel. Fans of the MCU who are less familiar with the comics may know her better however by her civilian name, Jessica Jones. Though she didn't play a major role in the story, one element of the comic involved a ship of Skrull duplicates who believed they were the real deal facing off against the real Avengers, thinking it was they who were Skrulls. This could be the perfect place to reintroduce some of Marvel's Netflix characters like Iron Fist, Luke Cage, or Jessica Jones in one fell swoop, but recasting Jones with Emilia Clarke would no doubt be controversial.
Netflix series star Krysten Ritter was a much-beloved fan favorite in the role of Jessica Jones, so it would surely prove divisive, but there've long been rumors that not all of Netflix's original actors would be retained when and if they are introduced into the MCU proper. If Marvel is indeed looking to recast the role of Jones, they could do far worse than Emilia Clarke, who'd be more than capable of headlining her own series or film. Another option might be splitting the Jewel persona from the Jessica Jones alter ego and making her a separate superhero character.
Invisible Woman/De'Lilah
Fans have waited patiently for Marvel boss Kevin Feige to make the first casting announcements for the forthcoming Fantastic Four film, already announced to be directed by Jon Watts ("Spider-Man: No Way Home"). With talk that "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness" may introduce a member of the team, the plan may be to begin planting characters from Marvel's first family one by one before their full feature film debut. One place that would certainly be fitting is in "Secret Invasion." While we haven't heard of any cast announcements for the Fantastic Four, one of them could be hiding in plain sight, with Clarke playing Skrull infiltrator De'Lilah, who once shape-shifted into Sue Storm.
In the comics, De'Lilah posed as Invisible Woman when she recruited Ghost Rider, Spider-Man, The Hulk, and Wolverine as part of a nefarious scheme to create a team dubbed "The New Fantastic Four." While we're not suggesting that "Secret Invasion" would adapt any aspect of that storyline, the idea of De'lilah posing as a pre-Fantastic Four Sue Richards could be a way of giving a nod to that story, and teasing the upcoming "FF" film. It could be also be a fun way of introducing Invisible Woman into the MCU while tricking audiences with a red herring at the same. And who knows, with the X-Men and Spider-Man both now available for use in the MCU, there's no reason that the "New Fantastic Four" story couldn't happen at some point down the line.
Lyja
First appearing in a 1984 issue of "The Fantastic Four," the Skrull known as Lyja fell in love with Johnny Storm after taking on the appearance of Alicia Masters. During her time as Masters, she and Johnny were married before her ruse was uncovered by The Thing. Much to even her own dismay, her time being in love with the Human Torch had turned her from Skrull spy into a genuine ally of the Fantastic Four, and together they foiled a plot by her people to destroy the superhero team, rescuing the real Alicia Masters in the process. After her death and resurrection (hey these are comic books after all) she would have a number of adventures with the Fantastic Four as a quasi-ally and on-again-off-again love interest for Johnny Storm. Of course, she would resurface years later in one of the many side stories that were part of the greater "Secret Invasion" event — in this case "Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four."
In that story, she would reluctantly side with her people in the takeover of Earth, but instead of killing the Fantastic Four would banish them to the Negative Zone. If the Disney+ adaptation of "Secret Invasion" needs an established Skrull warrior to use in its story, Lyja feels like a natural fit as a hardened alien spy. Throw in the possibility that she could eventually turn on her people to side with humanity, and you've got the makings for a seriously dramatic storyline.
Abigail Brand
Probably the most likely role for Clarke on this list, Abigail Brand is the head of S.W.O.R.D., a division of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the comics. Of course, in the MCU, S.H.I.E.L.D. was dismantled after the events of "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" possibly leaving S.W.O.R.D. — who we saw in "Captain Marvel" — as the pre-eminent fictional espionage agency in the MCU. This essentially would make Brand the defacto leader of Earth's super hero intelligence, and likely Nick Fury's main contact back on Earth now that he's in outerspace with the Skrulls (where we saw him in the post-credits scene tacked on to "Spider-Man: Far From Home").
Created by "Avengers" director Joss Whedon when he wrote a much-loved run of "Astonishing X-Men" in 2004, Abigail Brand and S.W.O.R.D. went on to play a major role In the comic book version of "Secret Invasion." In the story, Brand is stranded in space by a Skrull posing as former Howling Commando Dum-Dum Dugan, but manages to escape and free Mister Fantastic and return to Earth to help the Avengers turn the tables on the alien invasion. Though no details have yet to be released for the cast of characters involved in the Disney+ adaptation of the series, Abigail Brand is a safe bet to appear, and Emilia Clarke is probably best positioned to take on this role.
R'Klll
The Skrull Empress R'Klll has a long history, first appearing in the pages of "The Fantastic Four" in 1979. Over the years she has appeared in a number of key Marvel Comics storylines including "The Death Of Captain Marvel," and the ongoing conflict between the Kree and the Skrulls. But it's R'Klll appearance in the recent "Empyre" series — which itself was a kind of follow-up to the "Secret Invasion" storyline — that makes her a perfect character to include in the Disney+ series.
R'Klll has a long and complicated history, but among them are her impersonation of a powerful Kree soldier named Tanalth, and was family to both Skrull hero Talos (played by Ben Mendelson in the MCU) and Young Avengers member Hulkling, who in the comics is her grandson. With fellow Young Avengers Eli Bradley, Cassie Lang, Kate bishop, Wiccan, and Speed all now a part of the MCU, Hulkling is surely going to appear soon. Emilia Clarke taking on the role of R'Kell, a direct relation to a known series lead, seems like a natural fit for the series and an easy in-road to introduce the young Skrull hero Hulkling as Marvel continues their march towards the Young Avengers.
Kl'rt
The so-called "Super Skrull," Kl'rt is possibly the most prominent of the green shapeshifting villainous race, having first shown up way back in a 1963 issue of "The Fantastic Four" by Marvel icons Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Having the rare capacity to mimic superhero powers, he possesses an amalgam of all of the Fantastic Four's awesome abilities, and has tormented them for decades. On a couple of occasions, he's been an anti-hero, though, switching sides most notably in "Secret Invasion."
Whether he appears here as a heroic Skrull or a villainous one though, an appearance by Kl'rt seems as good a bet as any, given his prominence in the Marvel comics continuity. And while Kl'rt is a powerful and imposing male figure in the comics, Marvel has been known to make changes to some of their biggest heroes before for their live-action movies and TV series. Altering K'lrt for the MCU by turning him into a woman would be one way of subverting expectations as well as throwing off comic fans who may be waiting for the Super Skrull to appear. At the same time, as a race of shapeshifters, there's nothing to say they couldn't recast the role with a male actor at some point in the future.
Sui-San
The mother of Thanos in the comics, Sui-San was an Eternal, just like Ikarus, Makkari, Sersi, and Thena. Married to the Eternal called Mentor — whose real name was A'Lars — she lived on Titan, where she had fought with her people against the Kree many times. But while Sui-San's comic book backstory may seem to make her an odd choice for a "Secret Invasion" series that's centered on the Skrulls, things get more interesting when you look at a different version of the character from a parallel reality.
In the alternate future of "Earth X" and its followups, Sui-San was not an Eternal at all, and was in fact a member of the shape-shifting Skrull race — retroactively making Thanos an Eternal/Skrull hybrid (which of course explained his Skrull-like chin ridges). With the Eternals now a part of the MCU, and Thanos' brother Eros revealed in "The Eternals" — a film which incidentally pulled a large part of its story from "Earth X" — it's possible Thanos' mother Sui-San too could be revealed to be a Skrull. Giving the Skrull version of Sui-San an important role in the upcoming "Secret Invasion" series would help tie together several Marvel plotlines up and into one tidy knot — and Emilia Clarke seems perfect for the part.
Jazinda
The daughter of Kl'rt, otherwise known as the Super-Skrull, Jazinda was once a skilled soldier in the Skrull army and was tasked with retrieving a powerful relic called the Sy-Torak Gem (not to be confused with the Gem of Cytorrak that turned Cane Marko into the Juggernaut). When surrounded by an army of Kree, Jazinda — in a last ditch effort from letting the gem fall into their hands — swallowed the gem and gained the power to resurrect after death. For failing her mission, Jazinda was banished from the Skrull Empire, and she has lived on Earth ever since.
While living on Earth — wearing the guise of a human woman — Jazinda met She-Hulk, and the two became bounty hunting partners. Eventually, She-Hulk would discover her Skrull identity, and the pair would become good friends. Though Jazinda was already on Earth during the comic book version of "Secret Invasion," putting Jazinda in the middle of the action for the Disney+ series would be a good way of introducing a potential new supporting character for a second season of "She-Hulk," and help with the continued interconnectedness of the different MCU projects on the big and small screen.
S'Byll
We still don't know too much about the story that will be told in the new Disney+ series "Secret Invasion," or how faithful of an adaptation it will be to the comic on which it is based. But given that the Skrulls we've met so far, including Talos, are allies of Nick Fury and Avengers like Captain Marvel and even Spider-Man, it sounds like there may be different factions of Skrulls in play. One, likely led by Queen Veranke, could be attempting a takeover of Earth, and at least one other faction opposing them. This isn't without precedent either, as in the comics, the Skrull Empire has been comprised of many warring noble houses, with one being led by Empress S'Byll. The Empress appeared most prominently in "Silver Surfer" in the late 1980s where she fought for control of the Skrull Empire during the second Kree-Skrull war.
Marvel has been known to mine older stories for obscure characters and then elevate them to major players in the MCU, such as Taserface in "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" or even the Skrull Talos, who had only made a handful of appearances before he made his film debut in "Captain Marvel." Casting the "Game of Thrones" actress Clarke as S'Byll would set her up to play the leader of a new sect of shapeshifting Skrulls engaged in feud with Veranke's more violent and tyrannical faction. S'Byll might even be less antagonistic, perhaps even aiding Nick Fury and Talos in their fight to prevent a Skrull takeover.