Secret Invasion has set up a thrilling finale. At the end of this “six-episode television event,” Gravik and the Skrull Rebels are hunting down Nick Fury and “The Harvest,” a DNA archive of all the Avengers made after the Battle of Earth. The show has already delivered some shocking twists and turns, from the reveal that both Nick Fury’s wife and closest friend were Skrulls to the devastating loss of Talos.
However, there might be one more surprise moment ahead, and it could provide the perfect setup for the final movie of Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
President Ritson (Dermot Mulroney) is one of the many characters Secret Invasion brought into MCU canon. We don’t know much about him, but he’s a hot commodity in the fight between Fury and the Rebellion. It was an ambush on his motorcade that saw Talos give up his life, and only through that sacrifice did Ritson manage to escape being kidnapped and replicated by Gravik’s army. However, he may still not be long for this world.
While government figures are rarely a high priority in the MCU, we know a major character will soon be stepping into the Oval Office. Captain America: Brave New World will feature Harrison Ford as President (formerly General) Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross.
But if Ross is president in Brave New World, then what happened to Ritson? It seems like the easiest way for Secret Invasion to transition between the two is for Ritson to become another casualty. That would give Secret Invasion major geopolitical ramifications, and could also give us our first glimpse of presumed Vice President Ross being informed he’s succeeding Ritson.
This adds a new wrinkle to the MCU’s future. If Ross is a major part of Brave New World, then it wouldn’t be as an elected President. Imagine the insecurity that could give him, which would be the perfect cause for conflict with the newly minted Captain America. It’s a shame such a twist is only possible by sacrificing Ritson, but Harrison Ford is worth it.
