The MCU’s Skrulls are much more benevolent than their comic-book counterparts, but a fan theory offers a novel way to change that for Secret Invasion.

The disposition of the Skrulls in the Marvel Cinematic Universe constitutes one of the big curveballs the franchise has thrown at long-time comics fans. The aliens are typically portrayed as antagonists, with their shapeshifting abilities readily used for all manner of sinister conspiracy-based stories. Their introduction to the MCU in Captain Marvel cast them as far more benevolent: refugees seeking respite from their foes, the Kree, and interested largely in peaceful (if secret) coexistence with Earth’s natives. It worked extremely well in the movie, particularly the Skrulls’ leader Talos, who is currently a resolute ally to both Captain Marvel and Nick Fury.

That still leaves several unanswered questions, however, not the least of which is who the villainous Skrulls will be in the MCU’s upcoming Secret Invasion series. A Reddit theory from poster jedins offers an intriguing answer: they’re not natives of the MCU’s reality but variants from another universe entirely. Despite the additional narrative complications that would entail, the theory makes many strong arguments in its favor.

Secret Invasion’s Skrulls May Not Be the Same Group From Captain Marve

Regardless of the final explanation, the Skrulls who appear in Secret Invasion will likely differ from the figures who were in Captain Marvel. Talos and his people demonstrated their reliability during the events of that film, and about 30 years later, Nick Fury let them impersonate him while taking a vacation onboard their spaceship during the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home. Considering Fury’s self-professed trust issues — and Talos’s apparent status as a friend in the Secret Invasion trailer — the villainous Skrulls almost certainly represent another faction.

That could be anything from an entirely new group of Skrulls to a dissident splinter within Talos’s own group. The MCU has revealed little about the political situation they fled from, leaving the rest of the galaxy’s Skrulls very much an open question. Bringing a more sinister — and possibly more politically powerful — group of them in as Secret Invasion‘s villains wouldn’t be difficult.

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The theory, however, takes it a step further and, in so doing, ties Secret Invasion more closely to other ongoing developments in the franchise. It posits the new “evil” Skrulls as variants that have crossed over into the “prime” MCU (Earth-616) with the intent of taking over. Instead of refugees, their reality might have them as true conquerors, and with their own reality at their feet, they’ve journeyed forth in search of new ones to add to their Skrull Empire. Alternately, they might be exiled from their reality like Talos’s group but less willing to share the planet than he is. They might even be agents of Kang the Conqueror, sent to pave the way for his invasion or just keep the heroes of Earth-616 busy while he readies his plans.

Regardless of the specifics, the use of Skrull variants holds a lot of appeal. For starters, it keeps Talos’s faction solely on the side of “the good guys” without having to go into further details about the status of other Skrulls elsewhere in the galaxy. More importantly, it brings the Multiverse front and center at a time when the MCU looks to dive deeply into the concept. As Kang formally makes his debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Secret Invasion becomes a timely parallel: connecting not just the Skrull but Fury himself back to future projects involving the Multiverse.

That assumes that the producers want Secret Invasion to be a firm part of the larger Multiverse plotline. As the Reddit poster points out, that’s not the only arc the MCU is currently developing. And as comments observe, it adds a layer of complexity that the storyline doesn’t need. That said, the benefits of doing so — if properly developed — could pay dividends not just for the series itself but for the MCU as a whole. Time will tell, but the theory’s upsides are well worth contemplating in the meantime.