The first episode of “Secret Invasion” languishes for quite some time after a successful start, but the finale of this first episode is all the more shocking: Mary Hill (Cobie Smulders), which hasn’t appeared in the MCU since 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home and Avengers: Endgame, is dyingafter being shot by Skrull villain Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir). But is the ex-SHIELD agent really dead?
After all, we are talking about the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), where even Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the protagonist of “Secret Invasion”, has risen from the dead before (namely in “Captain America 2”) . In addition, at least since the Marvel Multiverse opened with “Loki”, “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness” and Co. and all kinds of variants of figures are doing the rounds, no death really seems definitive anymore. And wasn’t Maria Hill actually a Skrull in Spider-Man: Far From Home?
We believe that Maria Hill is really dead
These are all valid arguments, but we’re still pretty sure: Maria Hill really is dead. First of all, the staging of the death scene speaks for this: Hill finds time to say a few last words to Fury, then dies in his arms and as a pool of blood spreads beneath her body, the camera slowly zooms out – so here, through cinematic means, life is reflected as it life leaves her body.
Second, Maria Hill’s death also fits into the parallels between Nick Fury and Skrull leader Talos, which have been emphasized over and over in this episode (Ben Mendelsohn). Because Episode 1 begins with learning of the death of Talos’ wife Soren (Sharon Blynn) – and now ends with the death of Fury’s closest confidante and friend Maria Hill. It’s tragic, but we think it’s pretty consistent.
And third, it couldn’t have been Skrull killed here in the guise of Maria Hill. Because, as we also see again in Episode 1, the shape-shifting aliens show their true selves as soon as they die – that is, they transform back into green-skinned, pointy-eared Skrulls. And that’s exactly what doesn’t happen here during the long tracking shot.
Warning, spoilers for “Secret Invasion” Episode 2 to follow!
We’ve already seen the second episode “Secret Invasion” and without spoiling too much we can assure you: Also in episode 2, nothing indicates that Maria Hill is still alive. Nick Fury even attends her funeral here and asks her devastated mother for forgiveness – that would be a very evil deception to put on a spin on a hat in a later episode.
But who knows, maybe Maria Hill will return somehow in one of the remaining episodes. There are also plenty of rumors floating around the internet that Hill will appear in the upcoming MCU movie The Marvels. However, it is unclear where this information comes from.
Secret Invasion Episode 2 is out June 28, 2023 on Disney+. The Marvels opens November 8, 2023.