Emilia Clarke will join the MCU as Abigail Brand in Secret Invasion, but her character may be taking heavy inspiration from a beloved Marvel hero.

A theory suggests that Emilia Clarke’s Secret Invasion character might actually be a very important Skrull. The Game of Thrones actress is set to join the MCU alongside a plethora of exciting fellow newcomers in the upcoming Disney+ series, Secret Invasion. Adapting the highly consequential comics arc of the same name, the show will predominantly follow Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury as he works to stop a rogue cell of Skrulls from infiltrating and conquering Earth. Currently, there is no official word as to when Secret Invasion will premiere, but seeing as the first trailer debuted back in September, word must be coming soon as to the show’s release date

Intriguingly, Secret Invasion will connect directly to Armor Wars, but it could also set up some important elements of The Marvels and other Phase 5 projects. Despite Kevin Feige’s earlier statements that the show won’t reflect the comics’ massive reach as a crossover event, Secret Invasion could be incredibly consequential for the MCU. The comic event, and therefore the series, will center around one question – who will be revealed as secret Skrulls? Emilia Clarke has been the epicenter of much theorizing related to said question, and while her character has since been confirmed, there might be more to her than meets the eye.

Emilia Clarke Is Playing Abigail Brand In Secret Invasion: What To Know

It has been revealed that Emilia Clarke will be playing Abigail Brand in Secret Invasion. Brand is close to celebrating her 20th anniversary in Marvel Comics, having debuted in 2004’s Astonishing X-Men Vol. 3 #3. She is best associated S.W.O.R.D., S.H.I.E.L.D.’s replacement introduced in WandaVision, and the footage thus far for Secret Invasion suggests she’ll fulfill a similar role. Abigail Brand is also connected to the X-Men as she is a mutant/alien hybrid capable of pyrokinesis. While there’s no confirmation yet that she’ll be a mutant in the MCU, she could be the next to join the likes of Namor and Ms. Marvel.

Early theories had suggested various other characters for Emilia Clarke based on the available footage, in all of which Clarke is missing Brand’s signature bright green hair. Nevertheless, her inclusion here is not all that surprising. Abigail Brand featured in the Secret Invasion comics, helping S.W.O.R.D. to fight back against the Skrulls, but given the more intimate scale and stakes of the MCU’s series, she will play an even more central role.

MCU Theory: Emilia Clarke’s Character Is Secretly Behind The Skrulls’ Secret Invasion

Of course, Secret Invasion might reveal key characters like Rhodey to be Skrulls which plays into a theory that Clarke’s Brand could not only be a Skrull, but the mastermind behind everything. This suggests that Clarke could actually be playing Queen Veranke, the Skrull ruler responsible for launching the invasion on Earth. Importantly, in the comics, Veranke uses the visage of Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman, to infiltrate and defeat the Avengers from within. In the MCU, this element could instead be applied to Abigail Brand, which coincidentally plays into earlier theories that Clarke was going to play Spider-Woman for this same arc.

Veranke is a religious fanatic who ascended to the throne upon the Skrull homeworld’s destruction. She believed in ancient prophecies and deemed Earth to be the Skrull’s new home. Intriguingly, there’s already precedence for this. Captain Marvel might’ve teased Secret Invasion beyond just introducing the Skrulls to the MCU by further showcasing them as a lost people in need of a new home. In posing as Abigail Brand, as opposed to the not-yet established Spider-Woman, Veranke could instead infiltrate S.W.O.R.D. to weaken Earth’s defenses or get close to Fury, a clear threat to their invasion. Meanwhile, her general, Kingsley Ben-Adir’s Gravik, takes a more direct approach and deals with Talos.

What Emilia Clarke’s Skrull Twist Would Mean For The MCU’s Future

Should this theory prove to be true, it could affect several elements of the franchise’s future. Thankfully, this reveal wouldn’t limit Clarke’s future involvement as she’d still show up as Abigail Brand in various upcoming MCU properties from Avengers: Secret Wars to X-Men. It also wouldn’t restrict Spider-Woman’s introduction. She is a major hero with a long history in the comics, but she might be getting held up in contract negotiations like other Sony characters. As such, Spider-Woman may instead play a role in the expansion of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. However, if there is the chance for her to feature in the MCU, the opportunity shouldn’t be squandered.

Significantly, if such a major character as Abigail Brand is revealed as a Skrull in Secret Invasion, let alone the main Skrull in charge, that will only exacerbate further theories about other key figures secretly being Skrulls too. It would certainly be an exciting new way to engage with future content. Most directly, this twist could perfectly set up the MCU’s changing global landscape that will be central to Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts in focusing on a government-sanctioned team who might be responsible for hunting down rogue Skrulls. It just goes to show that no matter what Feige says, Secret Invasion might foundationally change the MCU.

 485 total views