WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Secret Invasion episode 6.
Contents
Summary
- Secret Invasion’s finale sets up potential future storylines for the MCU, including a possible conflict between Thor’s Asgardians and the United States government labeling all aliens as enemies.
- The aftermath of the Skrull invasion leads to a feeling of paranoia and fear surrounding aliens, potentially reverting the MCU’s status quo back to Phase 1.
- The concept of Marvel’s Siege storyline would be perfect for Thor 5’s story, bringing Thor’s attention back to Earth and potentially reuniting him with the Avengers. This story could also be covered in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Secret Invasion’s finale set up a few characters and storylines for the MCU to revisit, including what would be the perfect Thor 5 story. Unlike the original comic book, Marvel’s Secret Invasion show was a very self-contained adventure that did not involve the Avengers or other forces of Earth. Still, Secret Invasion’s final episode should influence what comes next for the MCU, especially because the Skrull crisis has not been resolved entirely. In addition, the effects of the Skrull’s secret invasion will only now being to be felt.
On one hand, Secret Invasion‘s ending resolved its main conflict. Gravik is dead, and the Skrull Insurgence’s plan of destroying Earth before claiming it has failed. Likewise, the humans who were replaced by Skrulls, including James Rhodes and Everett Ross, have been rescued. On the other hand, Fury has yet to fully fulfill his promise to the Skrulls, and Earth has to deal with the aftermath of the secret invasion. The feeling of paranoia that the planet will now have due to the Skrulls’ attack can lead right into other Marvel stories, including one that would make Thor and the Asgardians the enemy.
Secret Invasion Makes Thor’s Asgardians The Enemy
When addressing the country during Secret Invasion’s finale, U.S. President Ritson essentially declared war on every alien on Earth as a response to the Skrulls’ attempt of attacking the planet. Ritson has announced an emergency bill that labels “all off world-species” as “enemy combatants,” meaning that not only the Skrulls but every alien on Earth is now an enemy of the United States. Not only is that action problematic in terms of how there are countless Skrulls who were not involved with Gravik’s Insurrection, but there are also multiple aliens on Earth from different species who had nothing to do with the Skrull’s invasion.
This includes the Asgardians, who have been living on Earth since Avengers: Endgame. After Asgard, the planet was destroyed in Thor: Ragnarok, Thor made Tønsberg, Norway into New Asgard, which is currently led by Valkyrie. The Asgardians fit into “off world-species” as described in President Ritson’s emergency bill, which means that they are now officially enemies of the United States. Assuming that other countries will follow Ritson’s decision in Secret Invasion’s finale, every alien on Earth might soon become an enemy in the eyes of every nation. This would include the Asgardians, even though they have been living peacefully amongst humans for more than five years now.
Phase 5 Has Created The Perfect Backstory For Siege
Marvel Comics’ Siege story was the culmination of the Dark Reign arc, during which Norman Osborn went from a reformed villain to one of the most influential and powerful people in the entire world. After helping save Earth from the Skrulls in Secret Invasion, Norman Osborn accumulated a lot of political power and essentially replaced SHIELD with HAMMER, which was led by him. At a later point, Osborn would try to use his political influence to convince the President that New Asgard, which was located in the U.S., was a threat to the country and the world. This is very similar to what happened in Secret Invasion’s finale.
Of course, the MCU is still missing a Norman Osborn figure. Considering that Spider-Man: No Way Home established that Oscorp does not even exist in the MCU’s main timeline, it is difficult to imagine an Earth-616 Norman Osborn appearing anytime soon. Still, a Dark Reign/Siege storyline that deals with the aftermath of Secret Invasion and sees the usual superheroes lose their political influence amidst fear and paranoia can work regardless of Osborn. Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross will be president in Captain America: Brave New World, which means characters like Ross and Valentina could be Osborn-equivalents in Captain America 4 and Thunderbolts.
Why Siege Would Be Perfect For Thor 5’s Story
While a comic-accurate adaptation of Marvel’s Siege would not quite work in the MCU – many of the characters involved are not even part of the franchise yet – the concept of this comic would be perfect for Thor 5‘s story. It is important to remember that the main reason Nick Fury tried to weaponize the Tesseract was Thor’s arrival on Earth a couple of years earlier. Fury thought Earth needed protection after seeing Thor fight Loki and destroy everything around them, leading right into the events of The Avengers. Several years later, Asgard made Earth its new home, and it all went down peacefully.
Having the governments of the world make Asgard and other aliens enemies would bring Thor’s MCU story full circle. After years in which people in armor, sorcerers, radioactive people, and aliens were cherished as superheroes, Secret Invasion could reverse the MCU’s status quo back to how it was during Phase 1. The Skrulls’ attack could lead to paranoia regarding the next alien invasion, making the planet unsafe for the Asgardians. This would surely bring Thor’s attention back to Earth, which could tie into how he reunites with the Avengers. Even if Thor 5 doesn’t happen anytime soon, this story could be covered in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.