Marvel's Secret Invasion ending explained

Secret Invasion has concluded, with major ramifications for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The season finale to the Disney+ streaming series saw some surprise twists, deaths, and teases for future Marvel Studios projects. If you caught the episode “Home” and are struggling to make sense of it, Popverse has you covered.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Secret Invasion finale.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the Secret Invasion season finale!

How did Secret Invasion end?

The Secret Invasion finale featured the final showdown between Fury and the rebel Skrulls. As you can imagine, Fury prevailed, but at a cost. Here’s a brief breakdown of the fallout.

• G’iah disguised herself as Nick Fury to confront Gravik. Both underwent a procedure that turned both Skrulls into Super-Skrulls. As Super-Skrulls, they had the powers of every major Marvel hero, including Captain Marvel. Gravik was unable to control his powers, and G’iah killed him.
• Fury and Falsworth killed the Skrull version of Rhodey, which convinced President Ritson to cancel the strike on Russia. However, the incident also convinced Ritson that all Skrulls were a threat. The President made a xenophobic proclamation that all aliens were enemies of the state. This message radicalized vigilantes around the globe, who began hunting down Skrulls, whether they were innocent or not.
• G’iah rescued all the humans who had been replaced by Skrulls, including James Rhodes. Sonya Falsworth approached G’iah about working together to help the refugee Skrulls find a safe haven on Earth. The two agreed to work together, hoping to find stability for the Skrulls amidst the fallout of President Ritson’s anti-alien proclamation.
• Fury returned to S.A.B.E.R., revealing that his next project was a peace treaty between the Skrulls and the Kree. His wife Priscilla agreed to accompany him.

Who died in the Secret Invasion season finale?

Not everybody made it out of the Secret Invasion finale alive. Here is a breakdown of the characters who met their untimely ends.

• Gravik – The rebel Skrull leader was killed while he was battling G’iah. Although both were powered up as Super-Skrulls, Gravik was unable to control his powers. G’iah shot a hole in his chest, avenging both of her parents.
• Raava/Skrull Rhodey – Raava was killed during a standoff with Nick Fury. While masquerading as Rhodey, Raava attempted to get President Ritson to launch a nuclear strike on Russia. Fury and Falsworth attempted to stop Raava, leading to a standoff. Raava tried to pull her gun on Fury, but ultimately Nick was faster. Fury fatally shot Raava, ending her masquerade.
• Prime Minister Pamela Lawton – Prime Minister Lawton was killed after a case of mistaken identity. Although Prime Minister Pamela Lawton had been replaced by a Skrull, she was able to return to her normal life after being rescued. However, President Ritson’s anti-Skrull proclamation led to widespread xenophobia and paranoia. Lawton was assassinated by a vigilante who believed she was still a Skrull in disguise.
• The Chris Stearns Skrull - Chris Stearns was a cable news commentator that had been replaced by a Skrull at some point in the past. After President Ritson declared war on the aliens, a group of vigilantes somehow discovered the television star’s true nature. The vigilantes stormed the news studio, and fatally shot Stearns during a live broadcast.

In addition, plenty of unnamed humans and Skrulls were killed as a result of Ritson’s xenophobic comments. According to Fury, vigilantes began targeting Skrulls around the planet, with some accidentally killing innocent humans. In turn, some of the vigilantes were also killed by the Skrulls they were seeking to kill.

Were there any surprise cameos or new characters in the Secret Invasion season finale?

Don’t expect any surprise appearances from the Avengers in the Secret Invasion finale. However, Martin Freeman does show up as Everett Ross. Freeman had previously been seen in the first episode of Secret Invasion, where it was revealed that the former agent had been replaced with a Skrull. Ross is seen again in the Secret Invasion finale, when G’iah frees all the captive humans that the Skrulls had imprisoned. Ross is disoriented as he’s awakened. There is no confirmation on how long he had been replaced.

There are no major new characters at the end of the series, unless you count G’iah and Gravik turning into Super-Skrulls. In the comics, Super-Skrull is an enemy of the Fantastic Four who is able to replicate the powers of each team member. The most notable Super-Skrull is Kl’rt, but other characters have taken on the title.

Does Secret Invasion set up any future Marvel projects?

The Secret Invasion season finale sets up a few seeds that will play out in future MCU projects. The most notable one is Fury returning to the S.A.B.E.R. space station. This matches up with The Marvels trailer, which featured Fury working at the space station. Fury also mentions a potential peace treaty between the Kree and the Skrulls. Since their conflict was a big part of Captain Marvel, it’s likely that The Marvels will pick up that thread.

President Ritson’s xenophobic proclamation will probably have ramifications in the 2024 film Captain America: Brave New World. Fury tells Ritson that his actions will make him a one-term President. We already know that Harrison Ford will be playing Thaddeus Ross in Captain America: Brave New World, proving Fury right.

We also know that Don Cheadle will be returning as Rhodey in the upcoming film Armor Wars. It’s safe to assume that the movie will deal with the aftermath of Rhodey being kidnapped and replaced by the Skrulls. Beyond that, we don’t know how the MCU will be dealing with the fallout of Secret Invasion. Who knows? The Skrulls and their allies might turn up in some unexpected projects.

Does Secret Invasion have a post-credits scene?

No, Secret Invasion does not have a post-credits scene. This makes Secret Invasion the first of Marvel’s Disney+ shows not to include a post-credits scene. However, Secret Invasion isn’t the first Marvel project to leave out a post-credits scene. Avengers: Endgame (2019) didn’t include one, and neither did various Marvel television shows like Jessica Jones or Daredevil.

If you stick around for the credits, the Disney+ algorithm will attempt to autoplay another movie or television show from their media library. For me it was Captain Marvel (2019), which is fitting, because the film serves as a prequel for Secret Invasion. Feel free to watch that, but don’t expect any post-credits scenes from Secret Invasion.

Will there be a Secret Invasion season 2?

As of this writing there are no current plans for Secret Invasion season 2. Secret Invasion was marketed as a mini-series, rather than an ongoing television project. However, that doesn’t mean another season isn’t possible down the line. In an interview with SFX Magazine, director Ali Selim mused about the idea of a potential second season.

"When it ends, I hope you feel satisfied and complete," Selim said. "And as Marvel does so excellently, you also feel like 'Oh, it could go in this direction.' Nick Fury is alive and continues to battle, I don’t think that’s a spoiler alert. And there are some characters that are no longer with us and some characters that live to see another challenge. I would love to see that challenge become season 2."

However, during a recent interview, Disney CEO Bob Iger indicated that Marvel Studios would be slowing down their Disney+ output going forward. While this makes a second season of Secret Invasion less likely, it doesn’t completely close the door either. The season (series?) finale showed us that the Skrulls’ problems are far from over.

Whatever the future holds, if a second season of Secret Invasion is announced, Popverse will be here to cover it. In the meantime, check out our calendar of upcoming superhero movies and television shows.

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