Though plenty of set photos and videos were captured during its production, much of Secret Invasion has stayed a secret. Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn and Cobie Smulders are all reprising their respective MCU roles in the Disney Plus streaming series, but little is known about who the rest of the cast will be playing in the paranoia-thriller.
Olivia Colman, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Christopher McDonald and Killian Scott have all been cast in undisclosed roles, but no member of the cast has drawn more interest and generated more speculation than Emilia Clarke. Fan theories have had her as everyone from Jessica Drew to Abigail Brand, but now a rumor from a source who has proven reliable in the past points in a different direction. If you’re hoping to avoid spoilers, turn away now…
According to Reddit and Twitter scooper My Time to Shine Hello, Clarke is portraying a character who played a major role in the Secret Invasion comic book event upon which the streaming series will be based.
In the comics, Veranke was the Skrull Empress and the mastermind of the Skrull invasion of Earth. Veranke famously simmed Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman, and used her to sow discord among the Avengers in the period leading up to the invasion.
Set footage from the UK showed Clarke’s character had some familiarity with Maria Hill, but also showed her seemingly working with Ben-Adir’s unknown Skrull villain, so while her identity as Veranke is important, it’s only half the story. The identity of the human character she has chosen to sim will prove to be just as important to the plot of Secret Invasion, which seems set to stream in 2023.
