The events of Secret Invasion suggest a certain Black Panther: Wakanda Forever character was a Skrull, and it’s not who fans might think.
Leading up to Secret Invasion‘s Disney+ debut, the big question is who in the MCU has been a Skrull and how will this retroactively affect how audiences view Marvel storytelling that has come before?
Surprisingly, this Phase 5 series wasted no time in addressing that question while also raising another.
Is This Black Panther 2 Character a Secret Invasion Skrull?
Warning – This article contains spoilers for Episode 1 of Secret Invasion.
Episode 1 of Secret Invasion, titled “Resurrection,” opens with Martin Freeman’s Agent Ross receiving intel about the Skrulls, all before it’s revealed a Skrull was pretending to be him all along.
Later on in the episode, audiences learn that Gravik and his growing army kidnap the individuals they impersonate and take their memories.
Not only does this suggest that Agent Ross has been captured and is likely being held in New Skrullos, but it’s possible that another Black Panther character was responsible for his kidnapping: Dania Gurira’s Okoye.
Before Secret Invasion, the last audiences saw of Everett Ross was him being arrested for helping Wakanda and being transported in a government van before being broken out.
His rescuer turned out to be Okoye in her new Midnight Angel suit.
Audiences never saw what happened after she broke him out of that government van. However, Marvel Studios did confirm Secret Invasion takes place “post-‘She-Hulk’,” and that particular series occurred right after Black Panther 2 in terms of the MCU timeline.
Since so little time separates Ross’ breakout and a Skrull assuming his identity, it looks like Okoye may be a Skrull or a Skrull assuming her identity as well.
If the latter, Gravik and his Skrulls could be holding both the former General of the Dora Milaje and a CIA Agent prisoner in New Skrullos.
Is Okoye in Secret Invasion?
For Gravik and his Skrulls, Everett Ross and Okoye are logical targets.
Secret Invasion‘s opening scene established that Skrulls have been stirring up international chaos and working their way into government positions.
Okoye and Ross worked for two separate powerful governments; and even though they’re on the fringe of their respective institutions by Black Panther 2‘s end, they still have valuable contacts and information.
Puppeteering two problematic but powerful figures certainly makes perfect sense for Gravik’s agenda.
It’s also worth noting that Okoye almost had another scene in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever where she told Shuri goodbye.
Whether the scene ended up on the cutting room floor because of pacing – or because Marvel Studios’ plans for Okoye – is unknown.
The question now is whether fans will see Danai Gurira’s Okoye in future episodes of Secret Invasion and possibly other Wakandans.
If so, it will be yet another way Wakanda finds itself tied to this geopolitical collision course Marvel Studios is cooking up ahead of Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts, and beyond.
New episodes of Secret Invasion drop on Wednesdays on Disney+.
