Pratik Handore
Disney+’s ‘Secret Invasion’ is an action-adventure television miniseries set in the MCU and features the return of Samuel L. Jackson to his iconic role of Nick Fury, the former Director of SHIELD who returns to Earth after a long absence to deal with a grave conspiracy that threatens humanity’s future. In the process, Fury teams up with new and old allies to stop the threat. As Fury finds himself amid a dangerous conflict perpetrated by hostile Skrulls, viewers must wonder why the skilled spy left Earth prior to the events of ‘Secret Invasion.’ SPOILERS AHEAD!
Nick Fury’s Long Absence From Earth
Nick Fury is one of the most important characters in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. First introduced in the post-credits scene of 2008’s ‘Iron Man,’ Fury is responsible for the Avengers Initiative that brings together the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to combat all kinds of threats. After playing a significant role in 2012’s ‘The Avengers’ and its sequel ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron,’ Fury had taken an increasingly diminishing role in the MCU leading up to the conclusion of the Infinity Saga. However, when viewers are reacquainted with Nick Fury in the post-Blip world following the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ he is not associated with the Avengers or present on Earth.
During the events of ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home,’ which takes place months after the Blip, the undoing of Thanos’ snap, Fury recruits Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland) to deal with Quentin Beck/Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) and the threat of the Elementals. However, during the movie’s post-credits scene, it is revealed that the Skrull leader Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) has been posing as Nick Fury all along, with Fury revealed to be on a space station following the Blip. Thus, it is confirmed that Fury has been off-earth for quite some time. Meanwhile, he has been helping set up SABER, an intergalactic space organization. However, the reasons behind Fury leaving Earth remain unclear until the first episode of ‘Secret Invasion.’
The first episode of ‘Secret Invasion,’ titled ‘Resurrection,’ sees Agent Prescod uncovering a conspiracy revolving around rebel Skrulls trying to take over the Earth. As a result, Nick Fury is summoned to Earth by Talos to help deal with the situation. During the events of ‘Captain Marvel,’ Fury and Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) deal with the Kree-Skrull war. In the end, Fury provides refuge to Skrulls on Earth, promising them a new home. However, Fury leaving the Earth is seen as abandonment by some Skrulls. In ‘Secret Invasion,’ Fury speaks with Talos and Agent Maria Hill about his time in space.
Fury explains that after the Blip, he had a crisis of faith, leading to his decision to leave Earth. While Fury does not elaborate upon his decision, it is evident this crisis of faith is related to Thanos’ attack on Earth. It is likely that following Thanos’ attack, Fury became disillusioned about his role in defending the Earth. However, with superpowered individuals and extraterrestrial threats circling Earth, Fury feels he is dispensable and struggles to make himself useful since he is a mere human. As a result, Fury left Earth to form SABER, a powerful space station that monitors extraterrestrial threats.
Ultimately, Fury’s decision to leave the Earth seems to stem from his desire to figure out his place in a world where it is increasingly difficult for a person like him to make a difference. However, Fury’s time in space seems to have affected his espionage skills. Moreover, Fury’s age also seems to catch up to him as he is slower and jaded in the first episode of ‘Secret Invasion.’ Therefore, it will be interesting to see how Nick Fury fights the threat of the Skrulls while he is at a massive disadvantage because of his time away from Earth.
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