Secret Invasion is one of the most hotly anticipated adaptations in Marvel's upcoming catalog. The saga of the Skrulls was a compelling team-up in which tons of beloved characters found new spotlights. The MCU take on the material will depict the sympathetic Skrulls in a new light. Before fans see the Skrulls try to take over the world, they may like to know a bit about the world they came from.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe took its time introducing its deep space catalog. The first few projects featured very few aliens, but modern iterations frequently play out like Star Trek episodes. The project that kicked the door open was Guardians of the Galaxy, but the franchise continues to develop outward.
What is the Skrull homeworld?
Skrulls come from a planet called Skrullos. The MCU has never depicted Skrullos, but the comics give fans a few good looks at it. It's a rocky mountainous planet with a dark red sky. Its architecture looks one part Roman to two parts eldritch horror. Skrulls lived in walled cities and structures that resembled living organs. There's one semi-official MCU depiction of Skrullos. It's a piece of concept art for a scrapped Avengers tie-in video game. This take planet looks much more elaborately decorated. Towering statues and floating cities dot the sky while glowing green spires adorn every structure. Unfortunately, there is a reason why Skrullos hasn't received a lot of screen time.
In the MCU continuity, Skrullos was destroyed during a war with the Kree. In the comics, the war forced the Skrulls to abandon their home and create a new seat of power on a planet called Tarnax IV. Their second "throneworld" was consumed by Galactus, leaving them in much the same position as their MCU counterparts. In both continuities, the Kree were blue-skinned fascist conquerors who sought to add the Skrulls to their hoard. The MCU Skrulls are much more docile than their source material. The comics gave the Skrulls a massive empire, depicting their conflict with the Kree as two tyrants fighting over territory. MCU fans will remember the Kree as the race that gave the galaxy Ronan the Accuser. Their battle with the Skrulls was characteristically brutal. The Kree destroyed Skrullos and exterminated a vast majority of the species. On top of slaughtering their people, the influence of the Kree empire allowed them to paint the Skrulls as villains. This was a relatively easy propaganda campaign to win, given the way the Skrulls chose to survive.
Why are the Skrulls Invading Earth?
When Skrullos was destroyed, the Skrulls became refugees on various other planets. Skrulls can naturally change their physical form to perfectly mimic the DNA of any other being. Skrulls lived in hiding across the galaxy, working out deals with compassionate locals. A faction of Skrulls hid on a Kree vessel in Earth's orbit. Kree scientist Mar-Vell, known on Earth as Wendy Lawson, sheltered the Skrulls until her tragic death. After she died, the Skrulls lived on her ship for years. The Kree spent their time labeling the Skrulls as insidious infiltrators, encouraging the people of various planets to hunt them down. After Carol Danvers took on the Captain Marvel mantle, she started seeking out Skrulls throughout the universe and trying to find them a new home. Nick Fury worked with the Skrulls on this project and even hired a couple of them to take his place while he went on vacation. The Skrulls have waited a long time for their new home, but the process still seems to be underway. Some Skrulls are less patient than others.
Secret Invasion will depict a group of rebel Skrulls who have abandoned their peaceful relationship with Earth. Though some humans have offered help, their inability to properly resettle the refugees has left some Skrulls feeling vengeful. As a result, Gravik's faction has seeded the world with Skrulls in positions of power. Infiltrating Earth and taking resources through subterfuge isn't the most morally correct solution, but some Skrulls have justifiably given up on kindness. Nick Fury shares a portion of the blame for failing to deliver on his promises. Unlike the Skrulls of the comics, Secret Invasion is a story of a group of unfairly demonized refugees finally striking out to take what they need.
The Skrulls come from a destroyed world. Like a lot of MCU villains, they're victims of a situation that they did nothing to deserve. Will the Skrulls go the way of the Flag Smashers, or will they depict more nuance in their upcoming villainous appearance? The Skrulls can be one of the most engaging alien species in the Marvel catalog for different reasons. After the destruction of Skrullos, the remaining members of this species will be taking on a new tactic. Secret Invasion is set to premiere on Disney Plus on June 21st.