With Spider-Man: No Way Home quickly turning from one of the most-anticipated movies of all time to one of the biggest movies of all time, there is a lot to unpack following its release. From Peter Parker's future to Doctor Strange's understanding of the multiverse, all the way to the status of MCU stalwart Nick Fury. No Way Home is a game-changer in Hollywood's biggest cinematic universe.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home.
There is a ton of buzz around the Spider-Man aspects of this movie and the Doctor Strange implications ahead of Multiverse of Madness. But, an exchange between Peter and a Damage Control agent gives audiences a surprising in-universe update on Nick Fury.
Secret Invasion is set to bring one of the most intense and anxious Marvel stories to life following Nick Fury and The Skrulls through a mystery of whos who in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Spider-Man: Far From Home closed the Infinity Saga by revealing that Fury's involvement in the movie was the work of Talos, the main Skrull from 2019's Captain Marvel.
NWH Reveals that Fury has been in space, running his operation, and taking care of whatever business there is to take care of. But for how long?
The Whereabouts of Nick Fury
In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker is accused of murdering Mysterio by The Department of Damage Control. Peter tries to explain himself but is having no luck. So he pulls his Avengers card and tells the officer to simply ask Nick Fury because he was there the entire time. Only to find out the big twist revealed during Far From Home's post-credit scene.
Peter: "I didn't kill Quentin Beck, the drones did."
DODC Agent Cleary: "The drones that are yours..."
Peter: "No... Well, look... Nick Fury was there the entire time, just ask him and he can explain everything."
DODC Agent Cleary: "Nick Fury has been off-planet for the last year."
Peter: "What?!"
This puts a time frame on the whereabouts of Nick Fury that fans have not had before. It has been known that Talos was impersonating Nick Fury during Far From Home and that Fury was in fact in space working with other Skrulls. It was also teased that Fury was still up there during the events of WandaVision during one of those post-credit scenes.
Now there is confirmation that Fury has been "off-world" for the past year, at the time of No Way Home. Meaning that he must have left for space immediately following the funeral of Tony Stark if that was him.
What Has THE Spy Been Up To
Nick Fury in the MCU has always been a mysterious character with many secrets held close to his chest. This is one of the main reasons he was chosen to lead the Secret Invasion series in the MCU. Secret Invasion in the comics is a story that reveals many Marvel characters to be Skrull sleeper agents for years and years.
If the Marvel Studios decision-makers are trying to replicate that tension within the universe on screen, they are doing a great job. The reveal of Fury being a Skrull in Far From Home set the precedent that anyone, anywhere, at any time, could not be who you think they are. Revealing Fury in space working with other Skrulls brings scope to the situation.
This reveal in No Way Home catches Peter Parker by surprise, and he was working closely with Nick Fury and Maria Hill, who was also a Skrull. Leading into Secret Invasion, it is safe to assume that Fury is in the middle of something big. And him being off-world for at least a year is a nod to just how big this could be.
The actual plot of Secret Invasion is still a mystery, and it is safe to assume that the showrunners plan to keep it that way. The idea of this show will be to keep the audience on their toes and make sure they never feel comfortable. This was perfectly displayed by the chaos surrounding Peter Parker as he thought he could trust Nick Fury to vouge for him. Upon learning that Nick Fury was never there, that is one of the first seeds of suspicion in the MCU.
The timeline brings it all into perspective. It is assumed that Nick Fury was at Tony Stark's funeral, to say goodbye to an old friend. But based on the timeline of Far From Home and No Way Home, he left almost immediately to get to space and work with the Skrulls on something. This should speak to the magnitude of the situation, as the man who assembled the Avengers did not stick around to pick up the pieces of Avengers: Endgame.
After being blipped, Fury obviously started working on the next steps of Earth's relationship with space and what that could mean. With the anxiety provided by the Skrulls, and the always mysterious actions of Nick Fury, the mystery of Secret Invasion is already beginning to build.
They. Are. Everywhere.
