The Skrulls have been a presence in Marvel Comics for a long time. Their first appearance dates all the way back to Fantastic Four #2 in the year 1962 as minor villains. Since then, their presence in the Marvel universe expanded to a range that shook it to its core. So, when the ancient alien race made its debut in Captain Marvel in 2019, fans knew that it was only a matter of time before they did the same thing in the MCU.
Not long after Disney+ launched, the announcement of the upcoming Secret Invasion series followed soon after. Comic fans know the implications of this famous storyline, but not many casual fans of the film franchise do. To get them ready, we answer the questions: who are the Skrulls, and what do they want?
Who Are The Skrulls?
As seen in Captain Marvel, the Skrulls are a race of shape-shifting aliens that have been at war with the Kree for generations. So far, not much about the species is known in the MCU, but if their origins match the comics, then they were created by the Celestials along with the Eternals and the Deviants. It's already known that Skrulls can copy other organisms with incredible accuracy, but what's scarier is that some within the alien race have the power to copy other powers as well. This aspect will likely be shown in the MCU soon. These special Skrulls were dubbed 'Kl'rt,' or 'Super Skrull.' All around, it's difficult to detect one of these beings in disguise. Not even powerful telepaths have been able to identify them. The alien race had been at war with the Kree for thousands of years. When the two species first came into contact with one another on the Kree home world, the Skrulls sought an alliance, only to back out of the proposed partnership upon learning of the Kree's genocide of another race. While the two did not feud immediately, the following conflict became so brutal that the Skrulls evolved from a magnanimous species into one that embraced savagery. Their conflict would eventually find its way to Earth in the Kree-Skrull War story, where the Avengers defeated them. However, this defeat would lead to the Secret Invasion itself.
What Do They Want?
Following their defeat mentioned above and the destruction of their homeworld, a new breed of Skrulls was formed to infiltrate Earth and take over from the inside. It was a last-ditch effort for survival. The Secret Invasion comics arc saw heroes such as Elektra, Black Bolt, and others imitated within the ranks of the Avengers. Of course, they didn't just go after the heroes; they replaced important government officials as well. They had been implementing this scheme for years, culminating in a period of heavy uncertainty for those who tried to confront the invasion that had taken place right under their noses. The Avengers were tasked with fighting off an enemy they could not see, and they weren't sure who could be trusted. Take into account that the character Black Bolt is a king and a powerful force within the Marvel lore: if he could be swapped out with an imposter, that meant that no one was safe. Knowing this, fans can understand that the stakes going into Disney+'s Secret Invasion series are sure to be high. The Skrull's presence on Earth dates back to the 90s within the MCU. If they have been invading Earth, there's no telling how long they've been working on this plot or how far they've gotten.
How Will They Impact The MCU?
From the events of Captain Marvel, we know that most of the Skrulls will be aligned with the heroes of Earth. We last saw the character of Talos and his wife Soren in Spider-Man: Far From Home when it was revealed that they were impersonating Nick Fury and Maria Hill, respectively, while the real Fury was off-world on a mission. The upcoming Secret Invasion series will see a rogue faction of the alien race infiltrating Earth's population. Given the changes made to the Skrull backstory in Captain Marvel, the original invasion story from the comics will likely be tweaked a bit to fit the the MCU's phase four narrative. Still, the aspects of paranoia and uncertainty will likely remain the same.
It is, according to Screen Rant, rumored that Marvel may tease a future film storyline in which one of Earth's Mightiest heroes is replaced by a Skrull. Having the enemy at their side will likely complicate things significantly as the Avengers gradually continue to struggle with the multiversal chaos that continue to develop.
What's worse, the Skrulls don't necessarily have to replace Avengers members to cause a lot of damage. Imagine if the returning Jane Foster is a Skrull in Thor: Love and Thunder. An imposter inheriting the power of the God of Thunder could make for a huge threat. And then there's Thaddeus Ross. Assuming Disney doesn't discontinue the character following the passing of William Hurt, perhaps he had been a Skrull sleeper all along? And what about the characters we know in Wakanda. If T'Challa has passed away in the Black Panther sequel, it could leave a large power vacuum in the world's most advanced country that rogue Skrull may jump on. There are so many possibilities that could unfold in the new series. If Disney takes the Invasion as seriously as Marvel Comics did, things could get very out of hand and shake the MCU to its core.