While Secret Invasion won't arrive on Disney+ until June, Marvel Studios released a new trailer last night that offered a better idea of what to expect from the series.
While the comic book it borrows its name from was an epic sci-fi tale, this appears to be an espionage thriller that puts the spotlight on Nick Fury's return to Earth. Not adapting that story seems like a missed trick in a lot of ways, but there's still the potential for Secret Invasion to turn the MCU as we know it on its head.
We've now combed through that trailer to bring you a closer look at all the biggest reveals and moments. From the grand plan those shape-shifters have to what the deal is with the former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director, there's a lot here to sink your teeth into.
Take a look through our Secret Invasion breakdown by clicking on the "Next" button below.
5. What Are The Skrulls Up To?
Captain Marvel served as an odd introduction for the Skrulls, portraying them in a heroic light and the Kree as their persecutors. While we know Talos and his wife stayed on Earth and impersonated Nick Fury and Maria Hill in Spider-Man: Far From Home, this trailer finally sheds some light on what came next for them following their 90s-set introduction.
Rebel Skrull leader Gravik appears to be the show's main antagonist and, based on what we've recently learned about Secret Invasion in Vanity Fair, both he and his followers have grown tired of calling Earth home and having to hide in the shadows.
After staging an apparent terrorist attack, we later see him in what appears to be a decommissioned nuclear plant (where he seemingly fights Fury at one point). Could the Skrulls be attempting to kick off a nuclear war in a bid to terraform Earth? Seeing as some of these Skrulls are superpowered, it's also possible Gravik is using that energy to create Super-Skrulls!
4. World's Most Wanted
Nick Fury faked his death at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and later returned in Avengers: Age of Ultron to lend Earth's Mightiest Heroes a helping hand. He was mostly M.I.A. after that, with us eventually learning the former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director had headed into outer space to protect the cosmos alongside Captain Marvel and the Skrulls.
It sounds like Fury made some promises he couldn't keep and many of those same aliens now want to make him pay. That seemingly includes framing him for something, and as Rhodey points out, he's become the world's most wanted man.
If the rumours about the President of the United States being a Skrull are correct, then it could be as simple as Fury gunning him down and the rest of the world believing he's gone rogue and committed the ultimate act of treason. With the Department of Damage Control also thrown into the mix, don't be surprised if they've been infiltrated by Skrull imposters as well.
3. Is This Everyone That's Been Replaced?
One of the trailer's most intriguing moments comes when Talos' daughter G'iah (played by Emilia Clarke) enters a room that's full of prone bodies as far as the eye can see. Are they Skrulls being transformed into Super-Skrulls? That's a compelling possibility, but our theory is that these are all the people replaced by the shape-shifters since their secret invasion began.
In the comic books, many superheroes were kept in stasis while the Skrulls took their place on Earth. While walking through this room, G'iah may see a lot of familiar faces and perhaps even the odd Avenger or two depending on the show's scope.
While a Skrull can take on someone's appearance, they can't take their memories. These devices could be necessary to authentically replace them, and this appears to be a pivotal moment. The fact they've taken the place of so many humans drives home how huge their plans are and it's no wonder the show's tagline is, like the comics, "Who do you trust?"
2. The Avengers Flashback
Secret Invasion's synopsis has made it clear this story takes place in the present day, but this newspaper doesn't look like it's from 2023 (or whatever year the MCU is now in). This French headline translates to "The Avengers: The Battle of New York," an event we know took place in 2012 when Loki invaded Earth and Nick Fury defied orders as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Director.
Rather than being something this unknown character has held on to for well over a decade, we have a feeling the show will take us back to 2012 to perhaps further explore the fact Skrulls have been hiding among us since Captain Marvel.
There could be some big twists and turns in store for us here, and Marvel Studios even has the opportunity to bring back Agent Coulson, for example, if the version killed by Loki was a Skrull. Regardless, this person asks where The Avengers are, and it sounds like Fury wants to embark on this mission alone, perhaps atoning for some of the mistakes he's made.
1. Return Of The King
This trailer shows Nick Fury returning to his grave and later retrieving some of his old gear...including a certain familiar trenchcoat. However, while the former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director is back in action, it also sounds a lot like this could be the last fight he takes on in the MCU. Does that mean Secret Invasion is where the iconic character's time in this world ends?
Probably not. We have it on good authority that Fury will be part of The Marvels and it doesn't sound like this show does much to shake up his status quo. In fact, this might just be a far more self-contained story than many fans are expecting.
Dermot Mulroney is playing the U.S. President in the show and Harrison Ford's General Ross will be in the Oval Office by the time Captain America: New World Order rolls around. That's probably going to be the biggest change this show makes to the wider MCU, though we hope to be proved wrong on that front. Just don't go in expecting a story as big as the comics!