Marvel Studios’ latest entry into the canon of Phase 5, Secret Invasion, has finally come to an end after its six episode run on Disney+. The spy thriller starring Samuel L. Jackson in his iconic role of Nick Fury, Secret Invasion held some pretty historic revelations for the entirety of the MCU. But one very quick reference could be the hint many have been hoping for with the future of the Multiverse Saga!
Recapping Season 1 of Secret Invasion (SPOILERS AHEAD)
I shouldn’t have to tell you that spoilers are ahead regarding the events of Secret Invasion, especially if you’ve been following the show the past six weeks. But in case you haven’t watched the show, you really should. It’s not exactly the MCU’s biggest standout series since Iron Man graced our theaters and screens in 2008. But if you don’t care about spoilers, read on!
Throughout the show, we follow an aged Nick Fury, one who has had his entire life turned upside down following the events of Avengers: Endgame. Having returned to Earth due to rumors of a Skrull resistance attempting to disrupt the already fragile existence of the world post-Endgame, Fury finds himself at odds with both Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smolders).
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Over the course of Secret Invasion, both Talos and Hill fall victim to Fury’s mission to stop the Skrull terrorist Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir). Assisted by his equal in MI-6 Sonya Falsworth (Olivia Colman) and Talos’ daughter, G’iah (Emilia Clarke), Fury must stop Gravik from his ultimate goal of wiping out humanity and assuming the planet as New Skrullos.
In the end, Fury succeeds by revealing the deception of James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), who was replaced by a Skrull during the events of Captain America: Civil War (which deserves its own article in its own right). G’iah stops Gravik by assuming the powers of several Avengers, becoming a Super Skrull in the process.
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As Fury returns to S.A.B.E.R. with his wife (Charlayne Woodward), the United States President (Dermot Mulroney) declares Skrulls and other non-human entities taking refuge on Earth as enemy combatants. The world is falling even further into chaos following the potential war with Wakanda as well as this new declaration of war against all aliens. Which might be exactly what a certain individual wants.
Enter…KANG
That got your attention, didn’t it? Well, let me get to the point of this article.
Fairly early in the Secret Invasion season finale, there is a short scene involving a United States Army soldier who arrives at a facility. Once there, he picks up a sealed envelope containing classified documents before leaving abruptly.
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The way the show plays this scene out is meant to convey that this action was the US Army gearing towards a retaliatory strike against Russia, who the Skrulls have previously attempted to frame for the attack on the President’s life, which was shown in Episode 3. However, eagle-eyed viewers might have spotted something that could lead to something bigger.
The soldier’s name is Richards. And he’s African American.
Obviously, this isn’t much to go on. Especially when the context of the scene seems to spell otherwise. But this is Marvel Studios, who are notorious for hiding references all across their products. Not to mention this is also Secret Invasion, a show dedicated to forcing the viewers into spotting small bits of information that could lead to something huge.
For example, Iron Man 2 had a scene where a SHIELD map had specific locations of known superpowered individuals, including Hulk, Thor, and Wakanda.
How Does This Connect To Kang?
Time to do some Marvel Comics lore. In Marvel’s vast multiverse, there existed a man known simply as Nathaniel Richards. Hailing from the 31st Century, Nathaniel Richards was named for his ancestor, another man named Nathaniel Richards. However, the ancestor was the father of a very specific individual in the Marvel canon: Mister Fantastic, aka Dr. Reed Richards.
Nathaniel Richards of the 31st Century eventually discovered the ability to Time Travel, using the invention of a certain Latverian dictator. Upon going back in time, he became the Pharaoh Rama-Tut, but was sent back into the future by the Fantastic Four.
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Attempting to return home, Nathaniel found himself in the 41st Century, on a war-torn Earth. Conquering the planet and subsequently the Galaxy, Nathaniel redubbed himself Kang the Conqueror.
Returning to the MCU, Kang has let his presence be known through Loki Season 1 and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, where his variants have caused several issues with the known timelines. However, one thing some comic fans will know is that at one point, Nathaniel Richards arrived in the 21st Century before he became Kang but after he fought the Fantastic Four. When he arrived, he redubbed himself the Scarlet Centurion and pitted the comics’ version of the Avengers against their variants.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Welcome to the MCU’s Avengers: Secret Wars.
What I am theorizing is that this individual in Secret Invasion is using the Skrull invasion to obtain different materials he needs to prepare for his ultimate and final goal: Warworld. While some may make mention that the individual in the show bares no resemblance to Jonathan Majors, it can’t be ruled out that it’s a younger version, a variant, or simply an ancestor of the Conqueror we all love to hate.
Kang Has A Lot Of Work To Do
However, we have only just begun to witness what Marvel Studios has planned for the future of the MCU. With the promise of further Kang-lore in the upcoming Loki Season 2 (premiering on Disney+ on October 6th, 2023) and even more films in the pipeline between now and 2025’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, it remains to be seen exactly what Marvel has up their sleeves.
That said, by sticking to The Illuminerdi via Twitter, we’ll keep you up to date on all MCU news and even more! Follow us on social media for future updates!
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