Secret Invasion will finally bring Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) back to Earth for a new mission that could affect the entire future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As Marvel's next Disney+ series and the first streaming project in Phase 5, anticipation is high for Secret Invasion, though very little is known about its plot other than that it will follow Nick Fury's exploits as he battles a clandestine invasion of Earth by the shape-shifting alien race known as the Skrulls. However, Fury's true reason for returning to Earth during the events of Secret Invasion may actually have very little to do with the Skrulls after all.
The post-credit scene of Spider-Man: Far From Home included a Skrull twist, revealing that Nick Fury and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), who had been involved in Peter Parker's battle with Mysterio, had actually been alien imposters the entire time. Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), the Skrull who replaced Fury, ed the missing former SHIELD director with an update, with Damage Control Agent Cleary revealing that he was off-world and had been for some time. During Phase 4, Spider-Man: No Way Home confirmed that Fury had indeed left Earth long before the events of Far From Home, setting up his covert mission that will be explored further during the events of Secret Invasion.
Nick Fury May Return To Earth In Order To Reform The Avengers
As the original proponent of the Avengers Initiative, Nick Fury may be on a mission to reform Earth's Mightiest Heroes during the events of Secret Invasion. The Avengers have been conspicuously absent from MCU events ever since Avengers: Endgame, and recent indications from Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios confirm that the Multiverse Saga doesn't yet have an Avengers lineup. This is something that obviously must change prior to the events of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, but it remains unknown exactly how Earth's Mightiest Heroes will reconvene. Nevertheless, as the man who brought the Avengers together in the first place, Nick Fury is the best man to bring them together again.
Nick Fury's partnership with Talos has allowed him to remain aware of Earth events in his absence, including the events of Far From Home. When Talos and his partner reported their mission to Fury, he decided it was time to get back to work, leaving his vacation behind at last. While Fury doesn't give a specific reason for returning to work, Talos's final words before being hung up on relayed that the world kept asking about the Avengers. Therefore, when Nick Fury returns to Earth at the beginning of Secret Invasion, he may be following through on Talos's request to finally bring the Avengers back once and for all.
Far From Home Proves The World Needs Avengers
Because the Avengers don't exist in Phase 4, major events like those depicted Spider-Man: Far From Home Fury may have helped Fury realize just how bad things have gotten on Earth after Thanos's defeat. Although Far From Home is officially classified as a Phase 3 film, it canonically takes place after certain Phase 4 projects like WandaVision, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Eternals. This means that when Talos called to give his report about Mysterio's attack on London, Wanda had already cast her hex over Westview, a group of terrorist Flag-Shamshers had attacked the Global Repatriation Council, and the Celestial Tiamut had emerged from the ocean.
When Mysterio wrecked the reputation of Spider-Man only days after attacking London with a fleet of Stark Tech drones, Nick Fury may have felt that it was finally time to Earth to reform the Avengers. After a string of catastrophes that could have easily been avoided had Earth's Mightiest Heroes still been around, Fury may have seen Mysterio as the last straw. Deciding that the world needs its most powerful team back, Nick Fury's decision to reform the Avengers is not only understandable but absolutely necessary. However, as the events of Secret Invasion will undoubtedly show, Fury's mission likely won't go down the way he had planned.
How The Skrulls Will Interfere With Nick Fury's Mission
Unfortunately for humanity, the Skrull secret invasion of Earth will likely get in the way of Nick Fury's mission to form a new Avengers team. Arriving back on his home planet with hopes of gathering his closest allies, Fury is sure to be shaken to his core upon learning that an entire alien army had penetrated Earth's defenses. Even worse, the Skrulls can change their shape to look like anyone, meaning that there are very few people who Fury can trust anymore. Even the former Avengers themselves could be compromised by Skrull infiltrators, dashing Fury's hopes of reforming the superhero team.
Although Fury's hopes of putting together another Avengers team will likely be scrapped, Secret Invasion could form a new superhero team comprised of characters that have proven themselves not to be Skrulls. The 2008 Secret Invasion comic book event included a similar storyline, as Fury gathered together a group of Secret Warriors, which notably included the Inhuman Quake, who helped repel the Skrull invasion of Earth. While the Skrull invasion might keep Fury from putting together a brand-new Avengers lineup, Secret Invasion may see the secret agent form an entirely new superhero team that better fits the new world's needs.
