With "Captain Marvel" introducing the shapeshifting aliens known as The Skrulls into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, MCU fans are primed and ready to see some of their most beloved heroes and villains turn out to be secret invaders in disguise. Today I'll be giving you Part 1 of my MCU Skrull-based ideas, and why these three Avengers are actually dirty, dirty, Skrulls.
First off, not doing villains. Just 'cuz. Second, I had a few self-set rules to theorize who is and is not a Skrull. Let's break it down:
1. A Skrull cannot be a title character like Cap or Tony or Thor. This is because these are the characters we see the most and could possibly ruin whatever development they go through.
2. Cannot be a character with major character development. If a Skrull makes a character do something uncharacteristic that's one thing, but a Skrull would serve no purpose being a father figure to some kid from Queens.
3. Cannot be a character with superpowers. MCU Skrulls may end up being different, but going off of the comics like almost everything else in the MCU we have to remember a Skrull can copy your appearance, but not your superpowers. It is because of this that genetically-altered Skrulls called Super-Skrulls exist, and those kinds of Skrulls can no longer shapeshift. I will bend a little and say they are strong and durable.
And 4. It has to be a character who can realistically assume a position of power or authority. The Skrulls main objective is to sneak into a planet's government system and assume control. They spread and manipulate until they are so vast and resourceful they are unbeatable.
The Falcon
Let's start with Sam Wilson. I believe Sam was replaced between "Age of Ultron" and "Civil War". As Sam Wilson, a Skrull has access to government information because Sam is a soldier. Sam is also an Avenger, he asserts himself as Steve Roger's right-hand man. And I believe The Skrulls want to stick around Cap and Tony since they are the world's most prominent heroes, while Thor and Hulk aren't as public. Falcon's abilities are also easy to replicate. Wing-suit and guns. And if Cap becomes aware of the Skrull's existence they'll want someone close to Cap to execute him. We never really see Falcon do anything alone, except in "Ant-Man" when Scott escapes him. It might ruin the fun of that moment, but if Sam where a Skrull at that point it would explain his defeat by Scott given that this Skrull would be new at using Sam's tech. Additionally, Sam Wilson is not a particularly interesting character, so imagine the backlash of the public if Sam returned from being replaced and was blamed for the death of Steve Rogers.
War Machine
Similar to Sam, Rhodey is a character who is often seen around a title character and is rarely shown alone. We don't see much of Sam or Rhodey's personal lives, and I believe it is because they are Skrulls. Not only do I think Rhodey is a Skrull, I think he is the leader of this three-man operation. Skrull Rhodey has been here the longest, since "Iron Man 2". The first and most obvious piece of proof is when Rhodey leaves with one of Tony's armors. When Rhodey leaves Stark's place it is nighttime, when he arrives at a military base it is morning. Assuming how fast those suits can fly, it is possible Skrull Rhodey took Tony's armor to a Skrull base to send it's specs to his alien allies. With that, The Skrulls could counter any suit Tony creates. Rhodey also climbs the government ladder, beginning as an Air Force soldier, but as of "Infinity War" is the government liaison for The Avengers. Another big tip-off is the airport scene in "Captain America: Civil War".
Vision tries to stop Steve and Bucky from escaping by tipping over a control tower to block the path, but Scarlet Witch keeps the tower up. Rhodey attacks Scarlet Witch which sets off two scenarios: Steve and Bucky are almost crushed to death (which Skrull Rhodey could plead innocent since the boys still ran knowing the tower was falling) and The Vision is concerned for Wanda'a health (a concern that might make Rhodey a target for Vision). So, if Rhodey were a Skrull he would have no problem killed Steve and Bucky if it secured his trust with the US government, if he was wounded or "killed" by Vision it could make him a martyr and secure some other Skrull's position, and it would drive a further wedge between the superhero community. You'll also remember the person who flew after Rhodey when Vision fired his laser was Falcon.
When Vision shot Rhodey (either out of unconscious spite or a miscalculation due to Wanda's condition) and Rhodey fell to the ground, two plans were put in place. One, Falcon comforts Tony, Tony accepts Falcon's support, Rhodey "dies" and Falcon takes his place and secures his position. Or Two, Tony rejects Falcon (as he did) and Rhodey survives. Now crippled, Rhodey has more time to rub elbows with government officials and plan the Skrull interception of the American government. Rhodey's eventual reveal sets up a pretty good villain for Tony Stark and a potential return for original Rhodey as a new Iron-character, or maybe just a supporting character who is traumatized by his experiences with The Skrulls.
Black Widow
This is probably the most sensitive one because unlike Best Friend #1 and #2, Natasha Romanov has a pretty big group of fans, she is a character we've seen develop and grow. It may seem contradictory to my rules, but it is actually her development that made me think she was a Skrull. At the end "Captain America: Winter Soldier" Natasha leaks all of SHIELD's files, including her own, she recognizes the disappearance of Nick Fury and the destruction of SHIELD as a new beginning. By this point Nat doesn't trust organizations and doesn't want to become part of one after what happened between SHIELD and HYDRA. So then why does she side with Tony in "Civil War"? Tony sided with the government, the signing of the Sakovia Accords would mean people like Natasha could not act without government permission. It also means if the US tells Nat to kill a dictator in Israel or something she'd have to do it. And by that point Nat should know that. Her only excuse is trying to keep The Avengers together, but she could still be doing that from Cap's side and trying to convince Tony.
Unless, after "Age of Ultron" she was replaced with a Skrull. A Skrull who joined Tony's side on the chance that Skrull Rhodey would pull a stunt that would lead to faking his death and leaving his position open for either Skrull Sam or Skrull Nat. One could see Black Widow's betrayal against Black Panther in the airport scene as her trying to help Steve and Bucky as a redemption, or one could see it as one player setting another up for a big play. Ultimately, these three don't care if the Sakovia Accords are successful or not, it's all just a way for the three of them to become trusted members of individual parties. Iron Man now represents the US government's affiliation with superheroes, and Captain America is the heart and soul of the superhero community.
Now, who does Steve travel with when he's on the run in "Infinity War"? Sam and Nat. One is Steve's best friend, the other a veteran Avenger that Steve has come to trust. Two Skrulls who could cover one another should the other leave to make a call to their leaders. Another huge factor to Widow being a Skrull is the development of a "Black Widow" solo movie. Why? Hasn't the time passed? Haven't we seen enough of Black Widow, don't we know her story and her abilities and her relations to the heroes of the MCU? What could possibly make Black Widow interesting enough to warrant a new movie and possible trilogy? Well, if Natasha had been replaced by aliens. That could do it. Imagine a film where we see Nat get captured by the Skrulls, we see her meet her Skrull replacement, we see team up with the real Sam and the real Rhodey and anyone else who's been replaced. We see her return as the secret weapon of the Avengers when The Skrulls launch their grand plan. And after that we see Widow struggle with the hero community not trusting her anymore, she's alone, she's left behind, she has no idea where her life is going. And all because her life as a spy was used against her by an entire race of espionage agents. That is an interested direction to push a character. Interesting enough to warrant some movies and a new status quo for Marvel's super-spy.
Thanks for reading.
Who do you think is a Skrull in the MCU?
1. A Skrull cannot be a title character like Cap or Tony or Thor. This is because these are the characters we see the most and could possibly ruin whatever development they go through.
2. Cannot be a character with major character development. If a Skrull makes a character do something uncharacteristic that's one thing, but a Skrull would serve no purpose being a father figure to some kid from Queens.
3. Cannot be a character with superpowers. MCU Skrulls may end up being different, but going off of the comics like almost everything else in the MCU we have to remember a Skrull can copy your appearance, but not your superpowers. It is because of this that genetically-altered Skrulls called Super-Skrulls exist, and those kinds of Skrulls can no longer shapeshift. I will bend a little and say they are strong and durable.
And 4. It has to be a character who can realistically assume a position of power or authority. The Skrulls main objective is to sneak into a planet's government system and assume control. They spread and manipulate until they are so vast and resourceful they are unbeatable.
The Falcon
Let's start with Sam Wilson. I believe Sam was replaced between "Age of Ultron" and "Civil War". As Sam Wilson, a Skrull has access to government information because Sam is a soldier. Sam is also an Avenger, he asserts himself as Steve Roger's right-hand man. And I believe The Skrulls want to stick around Cap and Tony since they are the world's most prominent heroes, while Thor and Hulk aren't as public. Falcon's abilities are also easy to replicate. Wing-suit and guns. And if Cap becomes aware of the Skrull's existence they'll want someone close to Cap to execute him. We never really see Falcon do anything alone, except in "Ant-Man" when Scott escapes him. It might ruin the fun of that moment, but if Sam where a Skrull at that point it would explain his defeat by Scott given that this Skrull would be new at using Sam's tech. Additionally, Sam Wilson is not a particularly interesting character, so imagine the backlash of the public if Sam returned from being replaced and was blamed for the death of Steve Rogers.
War Machine
Similar to Sam, Rhodey is a character who is often seen around a title character and is rarely shown alone. We don't see much of Sam or Rhodey's personal lives, and I believe it is because they are Skrulls. Not only do I think Rhodey is a Skrull, I think he is the leader of this three-man operation. Skrull Rhodey has been here the longest, since "Iron Man 2". The first and most obvious piece of proof is when Rhodey leaves with one of Tony's armors. When Rhodey leaves Stark's place it is nighttime, when he arrives at a military base it is morning. Assuming how fast those suits can fly, it is possible Skrull Rhodey took Tony's armor to a Skrull base to send it's specs to his alien allies. With that, The Skrulls could counter any suit Tony creates. Rhodey also climbs the government ladder, beginning as an Air Force soldier, but as of "Infinity War" is the government liaison for The Avengers. Another big tip-off is the airport scene in "Captain America: Civil War".
Vision tries to stop Steve and Bucky from escaping by tipping over a control tower to block the path, but Scarlet Witch keeps the tower up. Rhodey attacks Scarlet Witch which sets off two scenarios: Steve and Bucky are almost crushed to death (which Skrull Rhodey could plead innocent since the boys still ran knowing the tower was falling) and The Vision is concerned for Wanda'a health (a concern that might make Rhodey a target for Vision). So, if Rhodey were a Skrull he would have no problem killed Steve and Bucky if it secured his trust with the US government, if he was wounded or "killed" by Vision it could make him a martyr and secure some other Skrull's position, and it would drive a further wedge between the superhero community. You'll also remember the person who flew after Rhodey when Vision fired his laser was Falcon.
When Vision shot Rhodey (either out of unconscious spite or a miscalculation due to Wanda's condition) and Rhodey fell to the ground, two plans were put in place. One, Falcon comforts Tony, Tony accepts Falcon's support, Rhodey "dies" and Falcon takes his place and secures his position. Or Two, Tony rejects Falcon (as he did) and Rhodey survives. Now crippled, Rhodey has more time to rub elbows with government officials and plan the Skrull interception of the American government. Rhodey's eventual reveal sets up a pretty good villain for Tony Stark and a potential return for original Rhodey as a new Iron-character, or maybe just a supporting character who is traumatized by his experiences with The Skrulls.
Black Widow
This is probably the most sensitive one because unlike Best Friend #1 and #2, Natasha Romanov has a pretty big group of fans, she is a character we've seen develop and grow. It may seem contradictory to my rules, but it is actually her development that made me think she was a Skrull. At the end "Captain America: Winter Soldier" Natasha leaks all of SHIELD's files, including her own, she recognizes the disappearance of Nick Fury and the destruction of SHIELD as a new beginning. By this point Nat doesn't trust organizations and doesn't want to become part of one after what happened between SHIELD and HYDRA. So then why does she side with Tony in "Civil War"? Tony sided with the government, the signing of the Sakovia Accords would mean people like Natasha could not act without government permission. It also means if the US tells Nat to kill a dictator in Israel or something she'd have to do it. And by that point Nat should know that. Her only excuse is trying to keep The Avengers together, but she could still be doing that from Cap's side and trying to convince Tony.
Unless, after "Age of Ultron" she was replaced with a Skrull. A Skrull who joined Tony's side on the chance that Skrull Rhodey would pull a stunt that would lead to faking his death and leaving his position open for either Skrull Sam or Skrull Nat. One could see Black Widow's betrayal against Black Panther in the airport scene as her trying to help Steve and Bucky as a redemption, or one could see it as one player setting another up for a big play. Ultimately, these three don't care if the Sakovia Accords are successful or not, it's all just a way for the three of them to become trusted members of individual parties. Iron Man now represents the US government's affiliation with superheroes, and Captain America is the heart and soul of the superhero community.
Now, who does Steve travel with when he's on the run in "Infinity War"? Sam and Nat. One is Steve's best friend, the other a veteran Avenger that Steve has come to trust. Two Skrulls who could cover one another should the other leave to make a call to their leaders. Another huge factor to Widow being a Skrull is the development of a "Black Widow" solo movie. Why? Hasn't the time passed? Haven't we seen enough of Black Widow, don't we know her story and her abilities and her relations to the heroes of the MCU? What could possibly make Black Widow interesting enough to warrant a new movie and possible trilogy? Well, if Natasha had been replaced by aliens. That could do it. Imagine a film where we see Nat get captured by the Skrulls, we see her meet her Skrull replacement, we see team up with the real Sam and the real Rhodey and anyone else who's been replaced. We see her return as the secret weapon of the Avengers when The Skrulls launch their grand plan. And after that we see Widow struggle with the hero community not trusting her anymore, she's alone, she's left behind, she has no idea where her life is going. And all because her life as a spy was used against her by an entire race of espionage agents. That is an interested direction to push a character. Interesting enough to warrant some movies and a new status quo for Marvel's super-spy.
Thanks for reading.
Who do you think is a Skrull in the MCU?
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