'Secret Invasion': Which Characters Are Most Likely To Be Revealed As Skrull Impostors?

The premiere of Secret Invasion, the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe series set to stream on Disney Plus, is now only a week away. Starring Samuel L. Jackson reprising his now iconic role of Nick Fury, the series main conflict involves a splinter faction of Skrulls under the leadership of Gravik, who, frustrated with Fury and Carol Danvers failure to fulfill the promise of finding them a new home planet, decide to secretly infiltrate Earth and steal resources.

The Skrulls ability to shapeshift into anyone they see makes them a dangerous foe, set to induce a sense of paranoia through the series. Fury and the small band of allies he gathers to thwart the Invasion are unable to fully trust anyone.. even each other.

Let's do a quick overview of some of Secret Invasion's major characters, and see who is most likely to be revealed as a Skrull impostor at some point in the series.

1. President Ritson

Secret Invasion will introduce Dermot Mulroney in the role of Ritson, the MCU's current President of the United States. While mentioned only by title rather than name, the President who was leaning towards taking action against Wakanda over the attacks carried out by Talokan in Wakanda Forever is assumed to be Ritson. Ritson also signed a trade deal witrh New Asgard around this time.

Part of Gravik's plan involves replacing those in positions of power, likely making Ritson a major target of the Skrulls in Secret Invasion. Going off the assumption, inspired by the comics, that the Invasion has already been going on before we see it confirmed in the series, some fans theorise that Ritson may already have been replaced at the time of Wakanda Forever, which would explain his eagerness to retaliate against Wakanda: A successful invasion of the country would have given the Skrulls access to vibranium. Ritson's seemingly rather short tenure as President also doesn't bode well for his future. By the time of the upcoming film Captain America: Brave New World, Thaddeus Ross, now played by Harrison Ford, will have become the U.S President.

2. Everett Ross

Former CIA Agent Everett K. Ross was last seen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Ross is arrested for sharing classified information with his Wakandan allies during the film in the hope of preventing a war, but is rescued from custody by Okoye in her Midnight Angel suit in the film's final scenes, and has presunmably been on the run since.

In the password encrypted Secret Invasion clip recently released online, Ross is seen meeting another Agent, Prescod, in a secret location. Here, Prescod reveals his theories on the Skrull Invasion to a clearly skeptical Ross. At the end of the clip, Prescod attacks Ross, seemingly believing him to be a Skrull. However, some fans believe the attack could be a red herring, and Prescod is the Skrull, attempting to weed out Nick Fury's pool of possible allies. Alter

This theory is not without merit, as Ross is listed as one of Fury's recruits in Secret Invasion's summary, and has been recruited for good reason. After losing his spot in the CIA in Wakanda Forever, and with them any Government ties, Ross has lost value as a target for Skrull infiltration, but still holds the skill and knowledge of an Agent that could make him valuable to Fury's cause. This doesn't mean that Ross won't be replaced by a Skrull at some point in the series, but it is more likely to happen after he has made himself a target again by actively working with Fury.

3. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, aka War Machine

James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, operator of the War Machine armor, was last seen in a brief cameo early in Falcon and The Winter Soldier, offering advice to Sam Wilson. Rhodey's actor, Don Cheadle, has stated that the character's role in Secret Invasion places him in a more political position than the military hero status of his previous appearances, mostly acting as a right hand to President Ritson. This pits him reluctantly against the series heroes, as he becomes torn between loyalty to his President and country, and accepting Fury's valid concerns of a a Skrull invasion, and 'off book' way of dealing with it.

If we accept that President Ritson is most likely a Skrull, Rhodey's close ties to the President make him a prime candidate to be replaced by a Skrull impostor. Fortunately, if this is the case, the real Rhodey will almost certainly be rescued and restored to his proper place by series end, as he will be needed for the War Machine-centric Armor Wars film.

4. Maria Hill

First appearing in 2012's The Avengers, the closing chapter of the MCU's first phase, Agent Maria Hill has most often been portrayed as one of Nick Fury's closest allies. Soren, the wife of Fury's Skrull ally Talos, posed (with permission) as Hill during the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home, which places the last appearance of the human Maria Hill at Tony Stark's funeral in Avengers: Endgame. Cobie Smulders, the actress behind Maria Hill, has said Secret Invasion's serial format has allowed her a valuable opportunity to deep dive into her character in a way that hasn't been possible with Hill's limited screentime in the films.

Despite having been one of his closest allies, it has been revealed that Fury has not been in contact with Hill for sometime when the series begins, but reaches out for help when he discovers the extent of the potential invasion. However, Hill's status as a known ally of Fury likely makes her a valuable target for the rebel Skrulls, who may be looking to use her to spy on Fury or sabotage the moves he makes against them. Potentially losing Hill to the Skrulls may cause guilt in Fury for being out of contact, and if she has been taken and replaced retrieving the real Maria Hill could become a driving motivation for the other characters.

5. Sonya Falsworth

Oscar Winner Olivia Colman joins the MCU as Sonya Falsworth in Secret Invasion. Falsworth is a high ranking member of MI6, and has allied with Fury in the past. Her character summary describes her main goal in the series as protecting England's security once she is made aware of the Invasion.

According to reports on the series, Falsworth could easily work with or against Fury depending on whether their goals align at a particular time. Her MI6 ranking will make her a very valuable target, so we can quite safely expect to see a Skrull Impostor Falsworth at some point in the series.

6. Nick Fury

Nick Fury has been a part of the MCU from the very beginning, appearing in the post-credits scene of Iron Man. He is the mastermind behind the formation of the original Avengers team, often observing and subtly influencing events. While he has played major roles in many films, including Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: No Way Home (although the latter was actually Talos), Secret Invasion is the first project in which Fury will be considered the main lead character.

In the midst of a series that will be heavily driven by twists and growing paranoia, audiences will need at least one character that they are able to trust completely, and Fury, as the lead, will likely be that character. While we may see Talos posing as Fury as he did in Far From Home, Talos remains on Fury's side in this series, so this would be a strategic decision. The main reason for the rebel Skrulls to pose as Fury would be to infiltrate Fury's team, which would be most likely to occur late in the series, with the audience aware it had happened.

Of course, we'll have to wait and see the series before we know any of this for sure. The premiere of Secret Invasion drops on Disney Plus on June 21.