The highly anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe Disney+ series Secret Invasion promises to change the franchise forever as certain longtime Marvel characters are revealed to have been Skrulls all along, participating in an undercover alien invasion of Earth.
The premise of the series implies that Nick Fury and Maria Hill will attempt to stop this invasion, but perhaps this synopsis isn't as forthcoming as previously thought. In fact, there are several hints hidden throughout previous MCU installments that could indicate that Nick Fury himself has actually been a Skrull imposter all along.
Bread Slices
In Captain Marvel, one of the few proofs that Nick Fury gives to the eponymous hero is that, for whatever reason, he can't bring himself to eat toast that has been cut diagonally. While this is a rather obscure fact about himself, it remains a distinguishable trait that a Skrull imposter may not recognize.
While this seems like a throwaway joke, many fans have come to the startling realization that, in Age of Ultron, 20 years after Fury confirmed his toast-eating habits, he is seen eating a diagonally cut slice of toast quite casually. Though this could very well be a small production error, there remains the possibility that Marvel is hinting that Fury has been an imposter for years.
Friends And Family
Over the course of the MCU, fans have gotten to know quite a bit about the characters therein, including some of their personal relationships and family lives. Nick Fury, however, has no such outside family or friends to speak of, remaining a figure with quite a mysterious past.
Despite appearing in eleven films within the MCU, Nick Fury has yet to be shown as having any kind of life outside his work. He has made multiple references to having a mother and grandfather, yet neither of these characters has ever appeared onscreen. Perhaps Nick's lack of a personal life could indicate that the man he claims to be doesn't exist at all, but is instead an alien impersonator.
"Nick"
Shortly after their first meeting in Captain Marvel, Nick Fury reveals to Carol Danvers, one of his most powerful allies, that people only ever call him "Fury." Over the course of this film, this indicator is used to search out Skrull imposters within SHIELD. However, the "Fury" rule doesn't seem to be followed in many other instances throughout the MCU.
Not only do many of Nick Fury's associates not exclusively refer to him as "Fury," but it seems as though he is referred to as "Nick" more often than anything else. While this may simply be an error on the behalf of the Captain Marvel writing team, it may also indicate that the person the audience saw within that movie and that of the other MCU films are two completely different characters, with different preferences when it comes to nicknames.
Long History With The Skrulls
Captain Marvel surprised fans upon its release when it was revealed that the Skrulls within the film were not antagonists at all, as they are typically portrayed in the comics. As a result, Carol Danvers and Nick Fury are shown to have forged strong and trusting bonds with the Skrull people, a relationship that appears to have persisted to the present-day MCU.
Though Nick Fury is not one to turn down the friendship of a powerful ally, he does seem a bit too keen on trusting a race of alien shapeshifters. It could very well be that his inherent trust in the Skrulls stems from the fact that Fury himself is among their number. If he in fact is not a Skrull, then Secret Invasion may prove that Fury's decision to openly trust these shapeshifters was ill-advised.
Unprecedented Technology
Even Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner were surprised to see the SHIELD Helicarrier rise into the air in The Avengers, showing off SHIELD's incredible arsenal of top-grade technology. Since then, the secret organization run by Fury always seemed to be ten steps ahead of the rest of the world when it came to tech--perhaps suspiciously so.
If Fury was indeed a Skrull, it would explain the seemingly endless supply of top-of-the-line weaponry at his disposal. The Skrulls, though not as advanced as the Kree, would certainly have technology far beyond that of Earth's, which Fury could utilize in his position as the Director of SHIELD.
Long Disappearance
After the fall of SHIELD in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and a brief encounter with the Avengers in Age of Ultron, Nick Fury disappeared from the MCU for several years, not showing up again until the post-credit scene in Infinity War. What he did during that three-year time gap remains a mystery.
Fury's disappearance makes no sense, unless of course, there was something more to his absence than originally thought. Very little has been seen of Fury ever since the fall of SHIELD, perhaps indicating that he has had a long and very secret history that the MCU is not ready to reveal to fans just yet--perhaps even a history including his Skrull brethren.
"Back Here On Earth"
Many fans have been quick to point out an apparent slip-up from the possible Skrull version of Nick Fury during his conversation with the Avengers in Age of Ultron. While encouraging them to keep up the fight against Ultron, Fury curiously refers to being "back" on Earth, a line which raised several eyebrows from those in the audience.
Though Fury may have been talking in hyperbole, or even referencing Ton Stark's brief excursion in space in the previous Avengers film, it does seem a curious choice of words. This could indeed be a Freudian slip on Fury's part, referencing the fact that Earth is not his home planet at all.
Absence From The Battle Of Earth
There are plenty of questions about Nick Fury, not the least of which being where he was during the Battle of Earth. In a fight that included the vast majority of superheroes introduced over the first decade of the MCU, Nick Fury was nowhere to be found.
Fury may not possess superhuman abilities like many of the Avengers, but he has proven on multiple occasions that he is quite capable in a fight, which makes his absence from the most crucial battle in the history of the universe quite unusual. Perhaps Wong and Doctor Strange, who personally transported the armies to the battlefield, were aware of Fury's duplicitous nature, and thus opted to leave him out of the battle altogether.
Far From Home
One of the biggest indicators that there may be more to Nick Fury's identity than initially thought is the post-credit scene of Spider-Man: Far From Home, where it is revealed that the Fury and Maria Hill depicted throughout the film were actually Skrull imposters who reported to the real Fury all along.
This reveal could have multiple interpretations. Some have taken it to indicate that Fury and Hill have perhaps been Skrulls for their last few appearances throughout the MCU. Others have pointed out that Fury could have been a Skrull imposter ever since his introduction in 2008's Iron Man, having swapped out with Talos sometime after the events of Captain Marvel. Either way, Secret Invasion is sure to give fans a more definite timeline of Fury and Talos's swap.
The Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion is a major event in Marvel Comics, which spanned every title in Marvel's lineup at the time of printing. The event seemed like an inevitability in the MCU once the Skrulls were finally introduced. However, one thing that still doesn't make sense is why Fury himself is at the center of the MCU's version of the comic storyline.
While Nick Fury is a major character in the MCU, it seems odd that the Skrull invasion would be relegated solely to his adventures, rather than those of the Avengers themselves. Perhaps his inclusion as the story's protagonist hints that Fury himself might have more to his story than meets the eye. Secret Invasion will no doubt reveal what makes Fury so central to this event--and which side he is really on.