Though 2020 put a pause on new Marvel Cinematic Universe content, 2021 is barreling through so much Marvel content that fans might want to pause to catch a breath. With the Disney Plus platform providing fans with streaming series set in the same continuity of the MCU movies, there will be a lot more content outside of the series still to come in 2021 as well. One of those upcoming series, expected to hit Disney Plus sometime in 2022, is Secret Invasion.
Inspired by the comic book event, the story is expected to see Skrulls hiding out as humans on Earth. Just how closely the streaming series will follow the original comic book storyline remains to be seen. What fans do know is that it will feature Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as the Skrull Talos, introduced in Captain Marvel. Talos has already impersonated Fury in the MCU in Spider-Man: Far From Home, presumably with the latter's permission since he was in what looked like a space station at the time. Just what other characters could currently be a Skrull pretending to be a familiar MCU character makes for some thought-provoking speculation.
Clint Barton
The MCU's current Hawkeye has his own Disney Plus series on the way, but his most recent time in the MCU makes him an interesting candidate to be impersonated by a Skrull in Secret Invasion. In the comic book storyline, Skrulls took human beings without anyone around them realizing until a Skrull ship began releasing superheroes they had replaced.
Clint Barton makes for a prime candidate for Skrull replacement. Why? He's been underutilized in the MCU, for one. Clint is also one of the few characters to be present on Earth during the five years after Thanos' snap without actually being seen until Black Widow tracked him down. The entire time, he focused his life on taking out criminals. He also lost himself in the grief of his entire family vanishing from the snap. Who is to say a Skrull didn't replace him then? One thing important for noncomic book fans to note is that some Skrulls didn't know they were Skrulls. Some of those replacing humans were sleeper agents. Clint wouldn't have to be conscious of the replacement.
Nakia
What's not clear yet is why the Skrulls will "invade" Earth. There are a few possibilities. They could simply be trying to live amongst humans. Skrulls could also actively try to take over the planet. Either are likely depending on the Skrulls spotlighted in the series. Even in the comics, Skrulls exist who empathize with humans.
If the Skrulls are angling for power on Earth, they need to replace powerful people. That doesn't have to mean people with superpowers. That could mean people with powerful connections. Getting into the royal family of Wakanda might prove difficult, especially with the isolationist nature of the country. Nakia, a spy who travels the world, might actually be an easier target for the Skrulls. She would provide the Skrulls an entry point into Wakanda. Nakia would also provide them access to royal secrets and Shuri's technological developments. She would certainly make for an interesting Skrull asset, potentially revealed in the Black Panther sequel.
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
Also known as the Contessa, Valentina is a relatively new addition to the MCU. With only one appearance so far, the character hasn't given the audience much to go on. So far, she seems like an opportunist. Valentina swoops in when John Walker finds himself stripped of his Captain America title. She offers him a new uniform, a new title, and a new chance to prove himself. For some fans, that looks too good to be true.
Valentina is often a double agent in the comics. It wouldn't be unexpected for her to be acting on behalf of a villainous secret society. The bigger surprise would be her acting on behalf of a shape shifting group of aliens. Making Valentina a Skrull would give the MCU a chance to do something comic book fans wouldn't see coming.
Sharon Carter
Sharon Carter is one of the biggest question marks for MCU fans. She sees a huge shift in her personality and motivations between the audience seeing her in Captain America: Civil War and The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. Sharon went from being a huge believer in Captain America and his ideals to a cynical fugitive hiding out in a haven for criminals. Fans speculated she would be the mysterious Power Broker long before the reveal.
Interestingly, Sharon was presumed to be someone snapped away by Thanos during Avengers: Endgame. Her photo appears amongst the missing when Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff explain Earth's situation to Carol Danvers. That missing chunk of time makes her a prime candidate, just like Clint, for a Skrull replacement. With her getting her government clearance back with a pardon, it also means a Skrull would be privy to government secrets. It would also mean a Skrull had access to the super-soldier serum, which could be a different way to give Skrulls superhuman abilities than what the comics employ.
Phil Coulson
Phil Coulson has already died several times in the MCU. Audiences were, in fact, just reminded of his first death thanks to the Loki series premiere as they got a recap of Loki's own MCU history. His death propelled the reveal of alien technology in Agents Of SHIELD. There's been some debate as to whether that series fits into the current MCU timeline since it also featured time travel, but the original Coulson as fans knew him did, in fact, perish in that series. That doesn't mean a new version of Coulson couldn't appear again.
Clark Gregg has played the 1990s version of the character, the movie version, the series version, a Life Model Decoy of the character, and even a completely different character with the same face. The 1990s SHIELD rookie even got impersonated by a Skrull already in Captain Marvel. Gregg would likely enjoy the chance to play yet another version of the character.
Bringing a Skrull version of Coulson - or another character from Agents Of SHIELD - into Secret Invasion would be a great way to definitively give fans the answer to whether or not the show fits into the current MCU timeline. It would also make for some fun confusion and suspense amongst the characters who know Coulson is dead.