In recent weeks, reports have published from various sources claiming Captain Marvel 2 will portray the famous Secret Invasion story-line. Before this movie, however, a Disney+ series is reportedly set to establish key background events which lead into the film’s plot. It’ll be interesting to see how this story-line is adapted for the MCU since Captain Marvel subverted expectations by showcasing the Skrulls, led by Talos, as benevolent alien refugees.
However, it was stated by Marvel producers that we only saw the good Skrulls and similar to cultures and nations on Earth, there are friendly and antagonistic groups within the entire Skrull race. In this post, we’ll explore how Secret Invasion can be executed based on the recent reports received.
Comic Book Overview
In the comic book version of the story-line, Secret Invasion was the result of a long-term infiltration mission. After the Kree-Skrull War concluded, the Marvel Illuminati confronted the Skrulls on their home planet, threatening them to never invade again but they’re captured and studied. When the Skrulls’ home world is destroyed by Galactus, they strategically capture several superhumans on Earth, replacing them with Skrull spies. Once the spies are discovered, deep distrust is established within the superhero community until a discovery device is invented by Mr. Fantastic.
This conflict culminated with a battle between the Skrull Queen and Skrull operatives against the New Avengers and Thunderbolts. During the final battle, the Skrull Queen was killed by infamous Spider-Man villain Norman Osborn. This allowed Osborn to sway public perception for his benefit and Marvel Comics entered the Dark Reign era, with Norman Osborn leading evil mirrors of superhero teams. This includes The Cabal (evil Illuminati), H.A.M.M.E.R. (evil S.H.I.E.L.D.), and his Dark Avengers (evil…Avengers).
The MCU: How This Can Translate
In the comic book story-line, Secret Invasion was a major event for the character of Carol Danvers. Within publication, it saw her usage increase to the point many deemed her the new favorite woman superhero among Marvel writers. Within stories, it provided her a vendetta against Skrulls due to the personal manipulation and psychological trauma endured. Due to the most impactful aspects of Secret Invasion being the division in the superhero community and infiltration of popular characters, it’ll be interesting to see that reintroduced.
Likely, the Disney+ series rumored to take place before Captain Marvel 2 will introduce the new sect of Skrulls and certain heroes they infiltrate. It’s worth noting that Captain Marvel showed that the Kree can produce technology capable of restraining or replicating superhuman abilities, so something similar will likely be utilized by the villainous sect of Skrulls. We may also receive a tease of a super-powered “arms race” with the Kree, Skrulls, and other alien races attempting to empower members of their race to combat superhumans on Earth.
In this case, the villain could be the Super Skrull, which is a character Marvel has wanted to adapt for years. Now that he’s back within their creative control, expect him to be a potential player in Captain Marvel 2 or 3. His character could theoretically have Fantastic Four abilities, although the more likely scenario (at first) is for the Super Skrull to be a classification of warrior.
With the character of Carol Danvers within the MCU, new mental trauma will be an interesting direction for Marvel to take. It will also be interesting to see how a character such as Talos is utilized, since he’s an ally of Carol Danvers and Nick Fury yet a Skrull. It’ll also be interesting to see how the Kree respond to the Skrulls’ actions, since they already painted them as villains in the past MCU films.
