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Warning: This post contains SPOILERS for Secret InvasionWith a potentially world-ending catastrophe being thrown Nick Fury’s way by warped, tantrum-throwing Gravik, you would think Earth’s mightiest heroes would be flying in to save the day right about now, considering how many countries are being threatened by an unseen force.
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The Avengers are not what they used to be as of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, but there’s a handsome new slate of heroes more than capable of filling those boots in theMarvelCinematic Universe. Here’s where the Avengers are and why they’re not in Secret Invasion.
Fury Explains Why The Avengers Are Not In Secret Invasion
During episode 2, titled Promises, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) meets with Rhodey (Don Cheadle), and the latter is secretly planning to fire the former S.H.I.E.L.D. head for his involvement in Maria Hill’s (Cobie Smulders) murder, but the trenchant conversation also explained the Avengers’ absence.
Rhodey questions why the Avengers–an initiative conceptualized by Fury–were not being brought in to deal with the imminent Skrull invasion. Fury explained that bringing in the heroes was a bad idea because it risks the Skrulls imitating them the same way they have been doing with world leaders and even Rhodey himself.
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Considering Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) and his team have been studying and using the DNA of other creatures, including the Guardian of the Galaxy Groot (Vin Diesel), the chances of Gravik capturing one of the Avengers to do the same is high, and Skrull Avengers fighting against the real ones would have devastating consequences. This idea already happened in Marvel Comics when the Illuminati–made up of Professor X, Reed Richards, Iron Man, et al–were captured and studied by the Skrulls.
Who Are The New Avengers, And Where Are They?
As we know, the original Avengers disbanded by the end of Avengers: Endgame. Both Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) lost their lives, and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) visited another timeline to live the life he wanted. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) continued to pursue his own threats, as seen in Thor: Love & Thunder, and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) had his hands full in New York alongside a new protégé. Meanwhile, Bruce Banner visited his cousin, Jen, who developed a mutation of her own.
With some Avengers lost and others remaining, it’s clear that each mantle is being passed on to a new group of heroes who will likely become our new Avengers. Steve passed Cap’s shield on to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), who became the new Captain America in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and he’s set to return in Captain America 4. The Iron Man mantle will be succeeded by Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) in next year’s Ironheart series after she received a debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Hawkeye was training Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) in Hawkeye, the Black Widow mantle will now pass to Natasha’s younger sister, Yelena (Florence Pugh), and She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), a.k.a. Jen Walters, has stepped into the Hulk mantle for a new generation. We previously thought that the Thor mantle would pass to Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), but she had a one-way trip to Valhalla instead.
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So, where is our new wave of heroes now? They’re certainly not in a bonding spirit, and it’ll likely take a number of years to see these characters unite similarly to the old crew. Sam Wilson will likely assume leadership like Steve did; however, She-Hulk is still very new to the game. Yelena is MIA after her showdown with Clint Barton–although she’ll reappear in the Thunderbolts movie–Riri Williams is in her prototype phase, and Thor is still off grieving the loss of Jane. There’s also the possibility that these fresh superheroes will not come together in one group, as there are still the Young Avengers and West Coast Avengers to consider from the source material, with the former thought to be led by Kate Bishop.
Even though we have the core six Avengers covered, the team encompasses a number of other heroes too. Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Shuri (Letitia Wright) as the new Black Panther, Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and even Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) as the Scarlet Witch–should she return after her downfall in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness–are all part of the ensemble too.
Secret Invasion Could Introduce The Fantastic Four
Another self-established group of heroes that could become a part of the Avengers ensemble in the future is the Fantastic Four, a team that has come to life in live-action three times before a debut in the MCU.
A leaked image circulated the fandom last year that showed a man, similar in appearance to Gravik, standing in front of a conceptualized image of Doctor Doom–the primary antagonist against the Fantastic Four. This scene was thought to play out during the post-credits scene of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but since it didn’t, perhaps Secret Invasion will be the place to see it come to fruition.
A theory first aired by the YouTube channelNew Rockstarsstated Gravik’s Super Skrulls could be an entry point for the Fantastic Four and a unique origin story for the quartet that sees their powers come from Gravik’s experiments instead of a cosmic ray in space. Extremis’ power is self-healing, but it also emits extreme heat similar to Johnny Storm’s as the Human Torch. Gravik was also able to stretch significantly using Groot’s powers and perhaps a mix of something else, stretching the same way Reed Richards does. Cull Obsidian has a durable exterior similar to Ben Grimm’s The Thing, but the jury is still out on replicating Sue Storm’s power of invisibility.
The MCU’s Fantastic Four debut has already been pinned to the date of June 07, 2025. However, that release may be pushed back significantly due to the current SAG-AFTRA strike that has shut down production in Hollywood. Fans will have to wait and see if John Krasinski returns as Mister Fantastic after his cameo in Doctor Strange 2, or if Marvel will opt for a whole new band of actors.
