The Multiverse Saga Can Fix Secret Invasion's Biggest Oversight (2024)

A major difference between Marvel Studios' Infinity and Multiverse Sagas is how the larger narrative unfolded. The first decade of Marvel Cinematic Universe films cut a straight path to Thanos and his gauntlet. The Multiverse Saga, like the concept it's named after, is less straightforward, as some stories don't clearly fit in the narrative. However, there is one way the Marvel multiverse can help correct the biggest oversight made by Secret Invasion, at least when it comes to the Skrulls' main abilities. The first Marvel Studios project led by the inimitable Samuel L. Jackson, fans had high hopes for the series. It promised political intrigue and seemed to be a series aimed more at adults than kids and families.

Secret Invasion is also based on a classic Marvel Comics event, in which it was revealed many of the most prominent heroes in the universe had been replaced by the villainous, shapeshifting Skrulls. When Captain Marvel introduced this species into the MCU, it subverted expectations by making them victims of the aggressive Kree Empire. Just how these Skrulls would go from refugees to enemies of Earth promised to be an interesting tale. Their ability to mimic any person also seemed to offer thrilling dramatic potential, creating situations where Nick Fury wouldn't know who to trust. The execution of Secret Invasion, however, failed to capitalize on either premise. The saga, so far, feels a little too predictable. Luckily, the cure for an underwhelming Marvel story is more Marvel stories.

Why Is the MCU's Multiverse Saga Struggling?

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The post-credits scene of The Marvels is a momentous step forward in capitalizing on the potential a multiverse offers. However, the box office woes and overly critical response to the film will almost certainly force Marvel Studios to reassess their plans. The release date shuffling following the end of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes is further evidence of this, with only the multiverse-heavy Deadpool 3 on the slate for 2024. Still, outside of a few "incursions" into other realities and a pair of Kang the Conqueror stories, the trajectory of the narrative is still unclear, at best.

While there may be elements of superhero or economic "fatigue" at play, even MCU diehards find themselves more confused than excited about the future. Rather than wondering what the next step is for Doctor Strange or Monica Rambeau, they're instead getting themselves excited for callbacks and cameos in future films that may never come. Deadpool 3, which will clearly address the Fox X-Men universe's end after Disney purchased the studio, will at least give fans Hugh Jackman as Wolverine one more time. Logan was a powerful ending, but it was also a bit of a bummer for those who grew up with the character.

What makes Deadpool 3 perfect for 2024's only MCU film is two-fold. The film has a clear multiversal element, even though the plot is still a closely guarded secret. Secondly, Deadpool's fourth wall-breaking allowed the character to poke fun at the entire superhero genre. The self-referential punchlines will help turn things that annoy MCU fans into something that amuses them. It can also help redirect the narrative, so the larger audience is more aware of how branch realities and variants of characters "work." It also offers potential for the Skrulls to do what they couldn't in Secret Invasion.

Are the Skrulls Bad in Secret Invasion?

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Despite not being faithful to the comics, the decision to turn Skrulls into a sympathetic and persecuted alien race was inspired. Perhaps the best element of Secret Invasion was an examination of how Nick Fury used the Skrulls to increase his own power and influence, while not making good on his promise to find them a home. Only the series didn't really reinforce that idea well. The main Skrull antagonist, Gravik, was a child assassin in the employ of Nick Fury, but that detail wasn't revealed until the last moments of the finale. Yet even that confrontation was undercut by the other big mistake the series made.

In the final scene, Gravik isn't talking to Fury, but rather G'iah in disguise. This is one of the few instances where the Skrull shapeshifting ability was used to trick the characters and audience. The Skrulls pretty much adopted a single form and stuck with it. In the comics, they replaced marquee heroes, but on a TV budget the best fans got was Rhodey and Everett Ross doppelgangers. Still, this didn't have the impact it should've, because the reason Skrulls felt so betrayed by Fury and world governments wasn't really fleshed out.

What could've been a powerful story about how Skrulls were radicalized by Fury's manipulations was, at best, rushed and muddled. The Skrulls are just "bad" in Secret Invasion, especially when Gravik turns on his own people for reasons still not all the way clear. However, if variants of MCU heroes start popping up in the prime reality, it gives the shapeshifters a chance to be the kind of complicated antagonists they could've been in Secret Invasion. Instead of posing as the heroes of the central universe, they can pretend to be variants.

Can Shapeshifters and Variants Help the Multiverse Saga?

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Secret Invasion lacked tension because audiences pretty much knew who was a Skrull and who wasn't right away. Similarly, when Doctor Strange met the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness, they were antagonistic but still very much heroes. Combining the two ideas could help inject tension and surprise into the Multiverse Saga. Now that G'iah has the powers of all the Avengers, she can imitate any hero perfectly. If other shapeshifters get access to super-Skrull technology, or G'iah fully breaks bad, Kang the Conqueror will be the least of the heroes' worries.

The blueprint for how to do this is not Secret Invasion but rather Spider-Man: Far From Home. The reveal that Peter Parker was working with Talos and Soren instead of Fury and Maria Hill was the best use of the Skrulls shapeshifting ability to date. Similarly, Quentin Beck pretended to be from an alternate reality in order to trick Peter into giving them access to Stark technology. The Multiverse Saga will, likely, feature a lot of variants with familiar faces running around. Making one or more of them Skrulls instead would create the kind of shock that Secret Invasion lacked.

The filmmakers also have options about how best to employ this device. The MCU could make the Skrulls the villains they are in the comics, using their shapeshifting ability to stymie the heroes by pretending to be an ally. Conversely, they could become heroes in the shadows, helping the Avengers while the "war" against aliens hinted at in the Secret Invasion finale goes on. This approach would make them natural allies with the MCU's mutants if they also become a persecuted minority. Either way, it would keep audiences guessing in a way that generates excitement about what comes next.

Can the Multiverse Saga Improve the Skrulls' Storyline?

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It's possible once credits roll on Avengers: Secret Wars, the MCU closes itself off from the multiverse for good. If variants of known heroes become commonplace, at least for other super-powered heroes, the Skrulls can use their abilities to trick the heroes. Like with Fury and Hill, a legacy character could appear throughout a movie like Captain America: Brave New World or Thunderbolts, only to be revealed as a phony. As multiverse incursions become more commonplace, Skrulls can take advantage of that to advance their own aims.

One thing Secret Invasion did correctly was leave the audience with questions about G'iah's status as a hero or villain. Going forward, she can commit herself to the mission her father failed to complete: finding the Skrulls a new home. Whether that's Earth or somewhere else is irrelevant, because it gives her a clear motivation to work her own angles in the coming conflicts. She could be an ally to the heroes and the villains dependent solely on how it helps her people.

Secret Invasion took a nuanced and complicated narrative for the Skrulls and diluted it with Gravik's mustache-twirling villainy. How the Skrulls respond to the multiversal threats could put their story back on the right track, while creating uncertainty for the characters and the audience. The storytelling potential is limitless. Uneasy alliances with heroes or villains can add elements of surprise and tension, especially when coupled with variants from other realities. Though, Marvel Studios would need to be careful. There is a fine line between the kind of confusion that keeps audiences tuning in and the kind that makes them turn off the MCU for good.

Secret Invasion Season 1 is currently streaming on Disney+.

Secret Invasion

TV-14

Superhero

Action

Fury and Talos try to stop the Skrulls who have infiltrated the highest spheres of the Marvel Universe.

Release Date

June 21, 2023

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson , Ben Mendelsohn , Olivia Colman , Emilia Clarke , Christopher McDonald

Main Genre

Superhero

Seasons

1

Creator

Kyle Bradstreet