Sometimes, the Marvel Cinematic Universe tips its hand. Marvel’s next two projects, Secret Invasion and The Marvels, are slated to explore different aspects of the galaxy, and at the center of the drama is Nick Fury. Secret Invasion is being touted as Fury’s big spotlight, with the recent trailer even featuring him declaring his upcoming adventure, “one last fight.”
But if this is his last fight, why is he featured in the trailer for The Marvels? The trailer could be a huge spoiler for the end of Secret Invasion... or it could offer insight into the peculiarities of the MCU timeline.
The Marvels trailer picks up right where Ms. Marvel left off, with Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel dealing with teleporting shenanigans. But the trailer makes it obvious that Monica Rambeau, who’s now a captain and astronaut, is also affected.
Nick Fury is the one person there to witness Rambeau swap places with Kamala Khan, who reacts like you’d expect any Marvel superfan who suddenly finds themselves floating in space next to Nick Fury to act. It appears Fury is integral to the action of The Marvels, which makes sense considering he was also a big player in Captain Marvel.
But his inclusion all but confirms that Nick Fury won’t have a big sacrificial moment like his former colleagues Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. If The Marvels really follows Secret Invasion in the MCU’s timeline, then Nick Fury has to survive his “one last fight” so he can help Monica, Kamala, and Carol with their fight.
Of course, it may work out that The Marvels takes place before Secret Invasion, but that doesn’t look likely. Ms. Marvel was set in the closest thing the MCU has to a present day, and we know The Marvels is set after it. Secret Invasion also seems like it’s set in the MCU’s present, and since it comes out before The Marvels, it seems safe to assume it precedes it. Why would Marvel release them out of order?
But just because we know Nick Fury survives Secret Invasion, that doesn’t mean the entire viewing experience is ruined. Learning how he survives, and what he has to endure to expose the Skrull conspiracy, will be exciting enough. And who knows? Maybe, by the time The Marvels rolls around, he’ll secretly be a Skrull again.
The Marvels premieres in theaters November 10, 2023.
