Summary
- Secret Invasion creates a complex issue for the MCU, as G’iah’s superpowers make her one of the most powerful characters, posing problems for storytelling moving forward.
- The MCU already struggles with overpowered characters like Captain Marvel, and G’iah’s presence could become a cop-out for any narrative in dire situations, undermining the stakes.
- To fix the superpower loophole, Marvel Studios should consider letting go of the Secret Invasion plot and allowing G’iah to lead the Skrulls on their own planet, removing her consistent presence on Earth and avoiding the temptation to rely on her in difficult times.
Secret Invasion creates a massive Marvel Cinematic Universe issue that will be difficult to resolve in the future. Marvel Studios’ latest Disney+ series brings back Nick Fury at the center of its storytelling after primarily missing the last few years of the Infinity Saga. Secret Invasion is also an unexpected turn for the Multiverse Saga, which has been mostly focused on dealing with various timelines, realities, and even variants. Instead, the six-episode show is more grounded, reminiscent of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Black Widow, albeit with the involvement of the Skrulls.
Admittedly, Secret Invasion‘s premise is interesting. The Skrulls’ attempt to take over Earth and claim it as their own after Fury and Captain Marvel failed to deliver on their promise to find them a new home brings the former SHIELD director back to Earth. The story gets complicated, however, when the idea of Super Skrulls is introduced, making Gravik and his followers more formidable. In the Secret Invasion finale, however, things get out of hand as Fury is forced to use The Harvest DNA samples taken from the Battle of Earth, which has biological specimens from almost every single Avenger who partook in the final Avengers: Endgame battle.
The MCU Has Made G’iah Way Too Powerful
In an effort to protect Earth from Gravik and his followers’ plan of taking over, the Secret Invasion‘s finale reveals that G’iah received The Harvest DNA, allowing her a massive range of powers and capabilities. As a Skrull, she was already quite formidable to begin with, having the fighting skills, not to mention shape-shifting abilities. Thanks to The Harvest DNA, she is now one of, if not the most powerful characters in the MCU. This may sound like a good thing, considering that she can help the good guys during rough patches. However, this actually poses new problems when it comes to Marvel Studios’ storytelling moving forward.
The MCU already has issues with overpowered characters. In Avengers: Endgame, directors Joe and Anthony Russo had to find a way to take Captain Marvel out of the equation to ensure that she didn’t function as a deus ex machina. Even the Avengers can be the franchise’s default call whenever something bad happens on Earth, hence why questions about their status in the Multiverse Saga persist. G’iah’s presence can be utilized as a cop-out for any narrative wherein the MCU finds itself in dire anger, which is bad for the universe that is already criticized for its low stakes.
How Marvel Can Fix G’iah’s Superpower Loophole
As it is, there’s no easy way to resolve this superpower loophole in the Marvel Cinematic Universe without making some significant changes. However, the issue isn’t totally unavoidable, Marvel Studios just needs to let go of the Secret Invasion plot. Despite the show’s ending, its storyline is expected to continue beyond the project. Whether Marvel Studios is planning a Secret Invasion season 2 is uncertain at this point. However, if they finally give the Skrulls their own home planet, G’iah can leave and be their leader. That way, she won’t have a consistent presence on Earth, and there won’t be an urge to go to her during times of duress.