Secret Invasion E1 Shocked Fans Right Away: One Major Character Is Dead And It Changes Everything

The following text contains spoilers for the first episode of Secret Invasion.

Nick Fury is on a mission to root out the dangerous Skrulls lurking in plain sight across the planet.

Throughout the marketing campaign, the project has been presented as something of a departure from the MCU, a darker and grittier story that feels more like a 70's spy thriller than a superhero story. The first episode definitely has that vibe.

During the episode's finale, Fury, Hill, and Talos, acting on a tip from G'iah, followed some Skrulls who might be carrying bombs. In the middle of a crowded square, Gravik detonated bombs, killing civilians and causing mayhem.

In an attempt to stop the Skrulls, Maria encountered Fury, but it wasn't really Fury. Nick approached Maria and unexpectedly shot her. It turned out to be the Skrull Gravik impersonating Fury.

The real Fury ran up to Maria and she died in Nick's arms. Nick was forced to leave the square quickly after Maria's death.

For a moment, it looked like Maria was a Skrull and Fury had figured her out, but she wasn't. When she died, Maria did not turn into a Skrull, proving that she was indeed killed. The real Fury saw she died.

Cobie Smulders made her Avengers debut in 2012 as Maria Hill. Maria worked closely with Nick, so fans were hoping she would play a major role in Secret Invasion.

Now, looks like Maria was only supposed to appear in one episode. However, we may see flashbacks of her in future episodes or some Skrull will take the form of Hill.

Maria's death raises the stakes considerably and makes it clear to the viewers that literally no one can be trusted in Secret Invasion.

It's likely that Maria's death will have a significant impact on Fury, as they've been working together since before the Avengers, which is more than a decade.

New episodes of Secret Invasion release every Wednesday on Disney+.