10 Biggest Missed Opportunities In Recent Comic Book Movies
5. Set Up Secret Invasion (Captain Marvel)
As soon as the first live-action Skrull appeared in a trailer for Captain Marvel, fans began the long, arduous process of speculating who in the MCU could have been a Skrull in disguise the whole time. The alien race was the central antagonist and their shapeshifting abilities were the inciting plot device of the famed 2008 comic storyline Secret Invasion. Characters who had been steadfast heroes for generations of comic readers were revealed to have been deep cover Skrull soldiers for decades.
It was a monumental shakeup of Marvel's historic lore and introducing Skrulls to the MCU had practically limitless narrative potential for the series. But Feige and Marvel Studio's team of writers had a different direction they wanted to go in. Instead of a conquering alien force, the Skrulls were revealed to be galactic refugees.
It was an interesting creative choice that paid off dividends in the film. Unfortunately, it make writing an adaptation of Secret Invasion more difficult. The post-credit scene of Spider-Man: Far From Home showed that some Skrulls are already impersonating prominent characters, but it's clear that they are hiding on Earth in a benevolent capacity, answering directly to Nick Fury. There's still hope for a twisted version of Secret Invasion, but Captain Marvel would have been the best and first opportunity to plant the seeds for the storyline.