As the Marvel Cinematic Universe gears up to kick-start its fifth phase, one particular group of frenemies could return to cause havoc: the Skrulls.
This alien race have the ability to shapeshift into other lifeforms without any perceptible difference, as introduced in Carol Danvers’ origin story, Captain Marvel. To date, unlike their more menacing comic book counterparts, Skrulls have generally been portrayed in the MCU as vulnerable, peaceful refugees who want to find a new home where they will be safe from persecution by their longtime enemy, the Kree.
So fans weren’t worried when it was revealed that the former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury and one of his highest-ranking agents, Maria Hill, had been replaced by Skrulls in the Spider-Man: Far From Home post-credits scene. However, if the upcoming Secret Invasion series follows a similar trajectory to the narrative in the comics, then we could be on the precise of a full-blown invasion that’s far more nefarious, and indeed, early descriptions of the series from Disney+ describe it as following what occurs when Fury and the kindhearted Talos discover there is a faction of Skrulls who have been infiltrating Earth for years.
In the MCU, the real Fury has in fact been ‘off world’ and assumed to be working towards a separate initiative with his Skrull allies. However, it looks like we’re about to discover what has happened in the 30 years since the Skrulls were displaced and the disparate paths different groups may have taken.
As in the Secret Invasion comic book storyline that inspired the series, it’s likely that many familiar faces have already been replaced by Skrulls, and we’ve teamed up with the oddsmakers at Safe Betting Sites to determine the characters most likely to be impersonated by aliens.
Everett Ross
CIA agent Everett Ross would be a prime candidate for the Skrulls to impersonate, due to his history regulating the actions of the Avengers in compliance with the Sokovia Accords, as well as his close relationship with Wakanda’s Royal Family and elite guards and potential access to Virbranium. It was also recently revealed that Everett is the ex-husband of the CIA’s new Director, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who is both powerful, connected, and forming her own anti-hero league known as the Thunderbolts (whose movie drops next year).
Being able to morph into Everett’s image would be an asset for the Skrulls to utilise in an invasion as he would be an informant for both the United States’ actions and the notoriously powerful nation of Wakanda. Not to mention the Avengers. He’d also make a useful guise for manipulation.
The rule-abiding Everett Ross from Captain America: The Winter Soldier has changed drastically since his time in Wakanda, but perhaps this more recent personality change where we’ve seen him not always playing by the rulebook is because he is actually a Skrull.
The unique position he holds would give the Skrulls access to a wider range of individuals including Val’s anti-Avengers associates such as U.S. Agent and Yelena Belova.
SKRULL ODDS (Skrodds. Sorry.): 16/1
Sharon Carter
In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sharon Carter is a remarkably different woman than when she first appeared as Steve Rogers’ neighbor in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Following her assistance of Rogers in contravention of the Sokovia Accords, she went on the run as an enemy of the state, going undercover and establishing an alternate identity as the Power Broker running a feared criminal underworld in Madripoor. This stark change in character that saw her switch from a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent following in her Aunt Peggy’s footsteps to pursuing a life of crime could indicate that Sharon isn’t herself but a Skrull impersonator, which has certainly been a prominent fan theory.
Whether Carter’s transition is due to a Skrull taking her place, circumstances demanding she adapt in order to survive, or a desire to create an empire in which she can operate where she isn’t dictated to by men, she has established herself as a powerful individual. One with murky morals and motivations, and one that could pose a threat to the Avengers, with whom she has an axe to grind.
SKRULL ODDS: 7/2
Hank Pym
On the surface, a retired scientist like Hank Pym doesn’t pose much of a threat to anyone, let alone an alien invasion. However, his technology has always drawn the interest of power-hungry individuals.
The Pym particle not only operates the Ant-Man suit, but it also unlocks what could be Tony Stark’s greatest discovery: time travel. This technology would be incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands. No one would suspect regular Hank to threaten to re-write the history of a victimised race, but Skrull Hank could do just that.
Pym is also a respected former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent with potential access to weapons, super serums, and super suits that could arm a fleet of soldiers if the Skrulls needed them. Compelling reasons to mimic this incredible human.
SKRULL ODDS: 5/1
Happy Hogan
Happy Hogan, Head of Security at Stark Industries, would be distraught at the thought that someone had infiltrated his intensive systems, but there’s a chance – albeit a slim one — he could have been replaced by a Skrull. The billionaire tech whiz’s former bodyguard has been responsible for the company’s archives, guarding Chitauri weapons, as well as Iron Man suits and generations of Stark arc-reactor (Starc-reactor, surely?) technology.
Happy would likely be an easy recruit for the Skrulls, considering he already worked closely – without suspicion – with Nick Fury and Maria Hill… or at least two he believed to be them. Perhaps the reason he didn’t suspect Nick and Maria (actually Talos and his wife, Soren) to be acting out of character was due to the fact that he too was already a Skrull?
Happy has earned the trust of the Avengers, been Spider-Man’s right-hand man, and can access a host of weapons of mass destruction that would be really useful for an invasion. It seems there could be a security breach. Sorry, Happy.
However, our oddsmaker thinks Happy is one of the least feasible options. Come on, the MCU has a story to weave and Happy being a Skrull makes things a little too easy. Plus, c’mon, it’s Happy. We’re not buying it.
SKRULL ODDS: 100/1
Nebula
Nebula is both an outsider and an integral part of the Guardians of the Galaxy. She’s also got an outside chance of being a Skrull in disguise.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special comically teased that the daughter of Thanos has spent time apart from the Guardians, after she presented Rocket with Bucky Barnes’ Vibranium arm as a gift. It appears Nebula has travelled away from Knowhere and her sister Gamora’s closest allies, returning to Earth, and during her absence it’s possible she could have been replaced by a Skrull.
Nebula holds the perfect position in the Guardians to both part ways whenever she sees fit, as well as work alongside them. She knows everything about how they operate and where they go next, and would easily have the opportunity to report back to Skrull allies.
There’s also the possibility that Nebula actually left alongside the variant of her sister – the living version plucked from 2014 – after the events of Avengers: Endgame and ever since the one with the Guardians has been a Skrull…
SKRULL ODDS: 100/1
Nakia
The Skrulls might be an intelligent alien species, but it would be a reach to suggest they could penetrate the Wakandan upper echelon, such as the Tribal Council. However, they could relatively easily find and replace Nakia who has been in Haiti for several years since Thanos’ Snap.
After all, the late King T’Challa’s girlfriend now has the likely future King of Wakanda, Toussaint, in her care too. Nakia has always played a fundamental role to her country, but now as protector and mother to the only surviving heir to the Wakandan throne, her significance has sky-rocketed.
If Nakia is a Skrull, this would give the invading aliens access to the most valuable individual to ransom if the time came for a war and would serve as a way to dissuade Wakanda’s legendary forces from attacking them.
SKRULL ODDS: 7/1
Phil Coulson
Phil Coulson has had a turbulent time in the MCU. Director Fury’s right-hand man was the spark that brought the Avengers together, when he was killed by Loki during the Battle of New York.
While the events of Coulson’s return (and re-death and re-return… it’s a long story) in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. remain a bit murky in terms of their placement with the larger MCU, it remains possible we could see another variant of Coulson – or at least think that’s what we’re seeing – when in reality it’s a Skrull.
Back in 1995, during the events of Captain Marvel, Coulson was briefly replaced by a Skrull, so they already have a profile of his appearance and mannerisms. It seems likely a Skrull would impersonate this S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, as a means to gain access to confidential information about the Avengers and get close to Fury.
SKRULL ODDS: 2/1
Captain Marvel
While Carol Danvers might be one of the Skrulls’ oldest allies, she also poses the biggest threat to the alien race if they decided to invade. Captain Marvel has already proven she’s an invaluable asset in a war, after she decimated Thanos’s ship in Avengers: Endgame. Therefore, the Skrulls would definitely want her on their side, or at least taken out of the game. Even if they couldn’t have the original Carol with all her powers, they would create their own.
After all, the Skrulls have a history with Carol after gaining her sympathy and assistance when their race was persecuted by the Kree. They know the extent of Carol’s powers and could replace her at any time. With over 30 years unaccounted for, from the events of her standalone movie to Avengers: Endgame, there have been any number of opportunities for Carol to be replaced by a Skrull.
In the post-credits sequence of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Carol showcased a similar appearance and personality to the young Carol back in 1995. It’s a notable change from the Carol seen in Endgame. This reversion could be a sign that real Carol has already been replaced by a Skrull, who only knew Carol when she had longer hair and lesser confidence.
SKRULL ODDS: 12/1
Clint Barton
Clint Barton is no stranger to aliens altering his personality. He’s been taken over by Loki, utilizing his Mind Stone-powered Scepter. Throughout the five years between the snap and the blip, this family man also underwent a shift of his own making, as he turned into a vicious assassin known as Ronin.
The Skrulls might want to harness the full spectrum of Clint’s alter-egos, as Ronin is feared across the world by even the most brutal criminal gangs. Clint was also MIA for those five years, which would have been the perfect opportunity for the Skrulls to build a profile around this infamous killer to adopt his appearance at a later date.
Hawkeye is also one of the few original Avengers left alive and active (at least on a part time basis), who could bridge the gap between Earth Mightiest Heroes and the future generations of superheroes that would pose a threat to the Skrulls.
SKRULL ODDS: 25/1
Tyler Hayward
Tyler Hayward has not been seen in the MCU since he attempted to decimate Wanda Maximoff’s grief-fueled Hex and created a weaponized version of Vision, AKA the White Vision, in WandaVision. Despite his minimal screen time, Hayward has made a lasting impression as a high ranking S.W.O.R.D. representative who quickly became a major antagonist against various Avengers-connected folks.
We know at least one seemingly benevolent Skrull replaced an FBI agent working alongside S.W.O.R.D. in the aftermath of the Westview situation, so it it also seems likely they would try and secure a high-ranking position like Hayward’s to redirect the organization’s initiatives towards their own agenda.
Throughout the time after the snap, it would have been easy for a Skrull to replace Hayward and work their way up, while opposing agents such as Monica Rambeau were lost. This would explain some of Tyler’s questionable motives dealing with Wanda and her family.
If Hayward is a Skrull, he may have White Vision at his disposal — despite that synthezoid attempting to figure out his purpose — as well as an intimate knowledge of some of Earth’s most valuable fighters and most importantly, their weaknesses.
SKRULL ODDS: 50/1
Summing Up
The most likely candidate for being a Skrull at 2/1 odds is Phil Coulson, who we’ve already seen replaced by a Skrull once before. He’s closely followed by Sharon Carter at 7/2, whose uncharacteristic behavior could have betrayed her. Right now, the least likely are Nebula and Happy Hogan. But don’t rule anyone out!
