When it was announced last year that Captain Marvel would finally introduce the shapeshifting aliens the Skrulls into the MCU, fans were ecstatic, as it opened the doors for an adaptation of the Secret Invasion comic book storyline at some point in the future. In short, the arc saw the Skrulls using their abilities to take the place of several key individuals from Earth – including some of the Avengers. It would make for a great movie, then, and a new rumor states that the set-up for it could actually come in Avengers 4.
Though Infinity War refrained from introducing us to Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers, the post-credits scene did tease her incoming arrival in the MCU, as Nick Fury was seen contacting her on an old-fashioned pager before disintegrating. We assumed that he was simply calling on her to help because the planet was in trouble. However, this did raise the question of why Fury had never done this in the past when Earth has needed aid. After all, Captain Marvel will reveal that she’s been active since the 1990s.
What this new rumor claims is that Fury is actually sending for Carol Danvers because he believes that the Skrulls are invading Earth, not Thanos’ forces. And he’s got good reason to, apparently. We’ve been told by the Russo brothers that Hawkeye isn’t in Infinity War because he’s off on an important mission. What that mission is is unconfirmed, but this report claims Agent Barton is actually off hunting Skrulls disguised as Yakuza in Tokyo.
The best evidence we’ve got for this is a casting call for Avengers 4 that leaked last year, seeking Japanese actors to play Yakuza mobsters. The call mentioned that they should be willing to wear a prosthetic mask, too. That does heavily suggest the involvement of the Skrulls, though it’s important to mention that the race aren’t said to have a major role in Avengers 4. Their involvement will be more of just a brief cameo, following their proper introduction in Captain Marvel.
However, the fact that Skrulls are integrating themselves into Earth’s culture is a big hint that they’re planning a full-scale invasion. Fans have often theorized that this could be the next overarching story to connect the MCU together, after Thanos’ hunt for the Infinity Stones has ended, and it looks like that’s exactly what Marvel are planning – and it all begins with Avengers 4.