Warning: The following contains spoilers for Secret Invasion.Fans were left stunned by the ending ofSecret Invasion’sfirst episode. In a shocking twist, audiences witnessed the death scene of a belovedMCUcharacter. In response to the shocking twist, audiences are now questioning whether this is truly the end for the iconic character, or whether it’s simply a part of Marvel’s ploy.
The character in question is the well-known agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders). Smulders made her first appearance in theMCUas Maria back in 2012’sAvengers.Whilst often overlooked, Maria is a favorite among many fans and undeniably possesses a significant presence in the MCU. Alongside her companion, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Maria helped the Avengers defeat Loki, and offered the team support in their fight against Ultron in the 2015 film,Avengers: Age of Ultron.Secret Invasion’spotential killing of a major character has shocked fans, leaving audiences scrambling for theories about how Maria may not actually be dead.
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In episode one’s final moments, audiences watch as Maria is shot and killed by the Skrull leader, Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir). In a sadistic twist, Gravik was disguised as Nick Fury at the time of Maria’s killing, leading Smulders’ character to believe that her own companion had turned on her. The camera then lingers on Maria as she is bleeding on the ground – a dark detail for a Marvel creation.
In an interview withDecider,Secret Invasion’sdirector and executive producer, Ali Selim, stated that he wanted to place emphasis on the emotional aspect of Maria’s death. He commented that: “It’s a balance of, what’s the emotional truth of that moment for Maria Hill? What’s the emotional confusion of that moment for Maria Hill, and helping Cobie find that and be truthful to it?”. By having Gravik disguise himself as Nick Fury, Selim certainly achieved a sense of emotional confusion. However, this confusion is currently being elevated by fans who believe that Maria is actually still alive.
Secret Invasion’spremisecenters around Nick Fury’s discovery that Skrulls have been secretly infiltrating Earth. As is fitting for a show based upon shape-shifting aliens, Secret Invasion feeds off mystery and confusion. In fact, the show’s tagline is: “Who do you trust?”. Because of this, fans are currently speculating that it’s not actually Maria who is dead. Audiences are questioning whether Gravik has instead killed a Skrull – one who was falsely posing as Maria.
This theory makes sense in connection with the end credit scene fromSpider-Man: Far From Home.In a big reveal, the credit scene showed that a Skrull had been posing as Maria all along. Secret Invasion’s premise follows the theory thatanybody could be a Skrull.This means that it’s a possibility that Maria herself isn’t actually dead and that it was the Skrull in her place who was killed. However, Maria’s fate currently remains unknown, and it’s possible that this theory is just wishful thinking from fans.
It’s plausible that Maria wasn’t a Skrull at all, meaning that this could truly be the end of the road for Maria. The opening ofSecret Invasion’sfirst episode saw a Skrull impersonating the MCU character, Everett Ross (Martin Freeman). When ‘Ross’ was killed, his imposter transformed back intoSkrull form.However, this didn’t happen to Maria during episode one’s dramatic finale. Potentially, this could confirm fans’ fears that Maria is actually dead.
Unsurprisingly, Maria’s death has triggered an emotional reaction from viewers who are upset by the potential loss of such a recognizable MCU character. Some viewers are also frustrated by Marvel’s decision to kill off Maria, taking to social media to express their disappointment. Whilst the character has been in the MCU since phase one, some fans believe that Maria never received the chance to progress and grow as a character.
In contrast to the original comics, Marvel often dismisses Maria, forcing her to take the side-lines amid the action.Secret Invasion’sinitial announcement back in 2020 excited fans who were looking forward tofinally seeing Maria in a central role. Certainly, Maria is more than capable of being the protagonist in an action-based TV series, however some fans believe that Marvel underestimates the character in favor of their male leads. By possibly killing Maria off in the first episode, Marvel has deprived their fans of seeing the character in a focal role. In the past, Marvel had a reputation for their omission of female protagonists and their underdeveloped female-based narratives. Maria’s death could likely place the company back under fire.
The possibility that Maria is truly dead has re-opened discourse concerning Marvel’s problem with killing off their female characters. If Maria is dead, then this would mean that there are worryingly few female characters left from Phase One. Killing off Maria solely to advance Nick Fury’s storyline would have negative consequences for Marvel – who are already facing backlash fortheir use of AIduringSecret Invasion’stitle sequence.
Secret Invasionwas Maria’s opportunity to take the stage – something which her death obviously prevents. For now, the fate of the character is uncertain. If Maria is truly dead, then the stakes have definitely been raised for Marvel’s fifth and sixth phases. Whilst some fans remain optimistic, their theories won’t be confirmed until the second episode is released on Disney+. However, there continues to be hope for Maria’s future as she is speculated to feature in Marvel’s upcoming female-led film,The Marvels.For now though, all fans can do is anxiously await the second installment ofSecret Invasion.
