The Mind-Bending Arrival of This Marvel Character Could Rattle the Space-Time Continuum

Spoilers for the first episode of Secret Invasion: Despite apparent death in Secret Invasion, Cobie Smulders' Maria Hill is rumored to make an appearance in Brie Larson's The Marvels.

Comic book characters have a knack for not staying dead, and this holds true for the MCU. Phil Coulson came back to life in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Meanwhile, Nick Fury faked his death in Captain America: Winter Soldier only to resurface later. Gamora met her demise in Avengers: Infinity War but returned via an alternate timeline post Avengers: Endgame. Similarly, Vision perished in Infinity War, yet returned in WandaVision and has now transformed into White Vision, set to star in his own venture titled Vision Quest. And let's not forget Loki, the master of escaping death more times than anyone else.

Fans who tuned in for the first episode of Secret Invasion were left in utter shock when Maria Hill, portrayed by Cobie Smulders, was shot and seemingly met her demise at the hands of none other than Nick Fury. However, the startling twist was swiftly unraveled, revealing that it was actually the Skrull imposter known as Gravik, brilliantly portrayed by Kingsley Ben-Adir, who had assumed Fury's identity. As if Hill's apparent death wasn't perplexing enough, it is mind-boggling to learn that Smulders will reprise her role in the upcoming Captain Marvel sequel, titled The Marvels, set to be released in November 2023.

It remains uncertain whether The Marvels occurs before or after Secret Invasion. Samuel L. Jackson recently disclosed to Empire Magazine the interconnection between both MCU projects. "The Marvels relies on the existence of this series. These elements are intertwined in an intriguing manner," Jackson stated. This implies that The Marvels possibly transpires after Secret Invasion, but it is not definitive.

Despite this, The Marvels could still potentially occur after Secret Invasion. The sequence of MCU films has not always adhered to chronological order. Notably, Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain Marvel were set in earlier time periods compared to the movies released prior to them. However, it is likely that the situation is akin to Ant-Man and the Wasp, which took place just before Avengers: Infinity War despite being released afterwards. Ant-Man and The Wasp had significance as its conclusion could have spoiled Infinity War but also established the groundwork for Endgame.

If The Marvels does indeed occur after Secret Invasion, it could still be logical. As previously mentioned, numerous characters in the MCU have been resurrected. In the case of SHIELD agents like Hill, it is plausible for her to make a return. On the other hand, Maria Hill might not come back and instead be a Skrull, similar to what happened in Spider-Man: Far From Home. However, the Skrull impersonating her in that film was Talos' deceased wife. Hence, it would require the presence of another amicable Skrull, which appears to be quite rare these days.

Currently, you can watch episode 1 of Secret Invasion on Disney Plus.

Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Empire Magazine