Contents
Summary
- If the existence of Nick Fury’s Harvest, which collected DNA samples from Avengers without their consent, becomes common knowledge, it could lead to major rifts in the Avengers and their possible downfall.
- James “Rhodey” Rhodes (War Machine) would strongly oppose Fury’s actions, especially since he had previously been replaced by a Skrull and missed significant events. This could put him at odds with Fury in future projects.
- Bucky Barnes (The Winter Soldier) would be concerned about his own DNA being used, as well as the DNA of his best friend, Steve Rogers. Their shared experiences and unique bond would bring Bucky into conflict with Fury if he learns about the Harvest.
Several members of the MCU’s Avengers might decide to leave the team if Nick Fury’s Harvest, first revealed in Secret Invasion, ever comes to light. Secret Invasion delved deeper into Nick Fury’s affairs outside of his known MCU appearances, with Samuel L. Jackson returning for his first solo adventure in Marvel Studios’ franchise. By doing so, Secret Invasion revealed a detail from the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame that the MCU had kept hidden until now, which saw Nick Fury recruit shape-shifting Skrull operatives to collect DNA samples from high-profile Avengers. This could cause some major rifts in the MCU’s future and may spell the downfall of the Avengers altogether.
First introduced in Secret Invasion episode 5, the Harvest was a collection of DNA samples recovered in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame’s Battle of Earth. According to Nick Fury, almost all the Avengers spilled blood during the battle against Thanos, and Skrulls were sent in to collect these samples for a mysterious future use. Including DNA samples from the likes of Steve Rogers, Mantis, Drax the Destroyer, and Thanos himself, the Harvest allowed Gravik and G’iah to enhance themselves into supremely-powered Super Skrulls in Secret Invasion’s finale. However, should any Avengers learn of their DNA being taken without their consent, it’s possible that these seven heroes could abandon their duties.
7 James “Rhodey” Rhodes, A.K.A. War Machine
James “Rhodey” Rhodes’ DNA wasn’t featured on the list of samples in the Harvest, but Don Cheadle’s steadfast character would certainly have strong opinions about Nick Fury collecting heroes’ DNA without their knowledge. This would come hot on the heels of War Machine being replaced by a Skrull in the MCU, meaning the Rhodey who now exists in the franchise potentially missed everything that occurred after Captain America: Civil War. Rhodey’s recent experiences with the Skrulls, barrage of new and tragic information (including the death of Tony Stark), and uncertainty about who he can actually trust would surely put him at odds with Fury if he learned of the Harvest.
Don Cheadle is expected to return in Marvel Studios’ upcoming Armor Wars, which will pick up after the events of Secret Invasion and potentially find Rhodey in an incredibly dark place. If rumors of Rhodey’s replacement following Civil War are true, that means he would have missed the battle against Thanos, the five-year Blip, the deaths of his friends Stark and Natasha Romanoff, and the events of Phase 5’s Secret Invasion. He could be feeling completely alone, so learning of Nick Fury collecting his friends’ DNA without their knowledge, and enabling it to be exploited by the Skrulls, certainly wouldn’t sit right with him.
6 James “Bucky” Barnes, A.K.A. The Winter Soldier
Unlike Rhodey, James “Bucky” Barnes’ DNA was included in the Harvest in Secret Invasion. Anybody with the MCU’s super-soldier serum certainly wouldn’t want their DNA to be collected and stored, much less actually be used, but Bucky might have even more reason to worry. The super-soldier serum running through his veins is an experimental serum designed by HYDRA, so nobody truly knows what has gone into the concoction. Bucky has suffered for decades with HYDRA’s control, only beginning to figure out who he is during Phase 4’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and he surely wouldn’t want anyone else to suffer this fate.
Bucky perhaps wouldn’t only look harshly on Fury for using his DNA, though, as the DNA of Steve Rogers’ Captain America was also used in the Harvest. As childhood friends, Bucky and Rogers have more shared experiences than most other characters in the MCU and a very unique bond, so the fact that his best friend’s DNA was used to create overpowered Super Skrulls would bring Bucky to odds with Nick Fury. Bucky is set to make his next MCU appearance in Thunderbolts, so it’s possible he won’t be affiliated with the Avengers anyway, but if the existence of the Harvest becomes common knowledge, these bridges will certainly be burned.
5 Sam Wilson, A.K.A. Captain America
Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson finally embraced his new identity of Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier after being gifted the shield and mantle by Steve Rogers at the end of Avengers: Endgame. This means that, by the time of Secret Invasion, Wilson has been active as Captain America for a while, which throws the mention of “Captain America” in the Harvest list into question. The Harvest’s Captain America could be referring to either Steve Rogers or Sam Wilson, though either way, the MCU’s new star-spangled man with a plan certainly wouldn’t take lightly to his or his friend’s DNA being used without their consent.
It’s more likely that the Captain America mentioned in the Harvest is Steve Rogers, as he was the version with actual superhuman abilities, thanks to his enhancements by Abraham Erskine’s original super-soldier serum. Sam Wilson doesn’t have any superpowers, so it wouldn’t make much sense for him to be included in the Harvest. Even so, Wilson wouldn’t want the Captain America title to be associated with the creation of the villainous Super Skrull Gravik in Secret Invasion’s finale. Interestingly, this storyline may be followed in Phase 5’s Captain America: Brave New World, which is set to be a more grounded story for Wilson in the MCU.
4 Peter Parker, A.K.A. Spider-Man
Peter Parker’s DNA wasn’t included in the Harvest, despite the young hero taking some beatings in the final battle of Avengers: Endgame. Even so, should the existence of the Harvest become more well-known, the MCU’s Spider-Man would certainly find it difficult to stand idly by and let Fury exploit his former teammates. Spider-Man was closely connected to several names included in the Harvest and was even one of the few Avengers to have interactions with several members of the Guardians of the Galaxy who were included in the Harvest, namely Mantis and Drax. They would need someone to fight their corner, and that person could be Peter Parker.
After the events of Phase 4’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, nobody on the planet remembers who Peter Parker is, though Spider-Man is still a known superhero. The unveiling of the Harvest in the world of the MCU may be the perfect way to bring Peter Parker back into the fold, though it’s likely that he wouldn’t want to be associated with Fury’s Avengers in future projects after learning of his controversial actions. Tom Holland’s Peter Parker has only become more self-assured and confident since his MCU debut in Civil War, so there’s no doubt he would willingly stand up for his friends against Nick Fury.
3 Bruce Banner, A.K.A. The Hulk
Bruce Banner is perhaps more careful about keeping his DNA out of the wrong hands than any other hero in the MCU, so the Hulk’s DNA being featured on Secret Invasion’s Harvest would come as a horrible shock to the green Avenger. As far back as 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, individuals have been trying to acquire Banner’s DNA, namely Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns in the Phase 1 film. The impact of this will be felt in Marvel Studios’ upcoming Captain America: Brave New World, as Nelson is set to return as the Leader, mutated after being exposed to Banner’s blood.
Exposure to Banner’s blood also transformed his cousin, Jennifer Walters, into a Hulk in Phase 4’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and since this happened very recently, Banner certainly wouldn’t want his DNA being used on anybody else. Perhaps the reveal of the Harvest would be a great way to bring back the highly-anticipated angry Hulk that audiences were first introduced to. Fury’s interference with Banner’s DNA could lead naturally into the rumored World War Hulk project in the MCU’s future, particularly since his DNA has been used time and again to make incredibly powerful villains, and he would surely want to put this to an end.
2 Thor Odinson
Thor’s Asgardian physiology sets him apart from the other characters included in Secret Invasion’s Harvest, now presumably granting the Super Skrull G’iah with an elongated lifespan and the ability to harness lightning. Thor wasn’t the only Asgardian featured in the Harvest, however, as Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie was also named, meaning he perhaps has double the reasoning to turn against Fury and potentially abandon the Avengers. Asgardian DNA is something that any regular human would certainly want to get their hands on and something that any Asgardian would be careful about keeping out of the wrong hands, so Fury collecting it after Endgame will ruffle some feathers.
Thor’s experiences with the Avengers over the course of the MCU transformed him from the egotistical Prince of Asgard in Thor to a well-rounded, layered, and gentle hero in Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love & Thunder, but that doesn’t mean that he would be happy about his DNA being used in the Harvest. The final battle of Avengers: Endgame was an intense moment for all the MCU’s heroes, but Thor’s journey over the five-year Blip in Endgame was unique. It’s highly unlikely that he’d want the legacy of this journey to be his DNA becoming part of a mixture capable of transforming the Skrulls into potential supervillains.
1 Carol Danvers, A.K.A. Captain Marvel
Perhaps the most prominent DNA featured in the Harvest in Secret Invasion was that of Carol Danvers, a.k.a. Captain Marvel, as her cosmic energy abilities are certainly the most utilized during the battle between Gravik and G’iah in Secret Invasion’s finale. Captain Marvel’s DNA isn’t like a typical human’s but has been enhanced by both Kree blood – allowing her to heal from near death – and the raw energy of the Tesseract, a.k.a. the Space Stone. The unique combination of Danvers’ DNA makes it now only incredibly powerful but also supremely dangerous, so having it fall into the wrong hands if something she would actively want to avoid.
What makes Danvers’ inclusion in the Harvest even worse, however, is the fact that it was her close friend and confidant Nick Fury who thought it would be okay to collect, store, and eventually give away her superpowered DNA. Fury and Danvers built a strong connection in 2019’s Captain Marvel, and their friendship is set to be developed further in 2023’s The Marvels, but this could come under strain if Fury’s creation of the Harvest comes to light. Acquiring any hero’s DNA without consent is a questionable action, but Fury’s collection of Captain Marvel’s DNA prior to Secret Invasion may be the final nail in the coffin of their collaboration.