The following contains spoilers for Secret Invasion, now streaming on Disney+.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe may be due for a British invasion. Rumors of Captain Britain's arrival in the mega-franchise have swirled since a quiet Easter egg in Avengers: Endgame. And with The Black Knight already appearing in Eternals, the potential members of a UK superhero team might already be in play.
In fact, the season finale to Secret Invasion may have just added a big piece to that puzzle. G'iah, the Skrull double agent instrumental in uncovering her people's plot against humanity, ended the episode allied with MI6. Between that and Olivia Colman's scene-stealing turn as Sonya Falsworth, the MCU is primed to deliver a British superhero team in a big way.
Captain Britain Is a Real Possibility in the MCU
Brian Braddock first appeared in his own comic, Captain Britain #1 (Chris Claremont, Herb Trimpe, Fred Kida, Marie Severin and Irving Watanabe) in 1976. Imbued with a standard array of powers -- strength, invulnerability and flight -- from the sorcerer Merlin, he swears to protect the British Isles from all threats. His early adventures saw him teaming up with the likes of Spider-Man and The Black Knight, but he's most closely associated with Marvel's mutants. His twin sister Betsy -- who has also worn the Captain Britain mantle -- was a long-standing member of the X-Men, and Braddock himself co-founded Excalibur alongside Nightcrawler, Rachel Summers and Kitty Pryde.
While he has yet to officially appear in the MCU, Feige has made no secret of his love for the character, and casting rumors periodically flare up (former Superman Henry Cavill is apparently a shoo-in). Endgame dropped a quiet but very telling Easter egg amid the time heist when Steve Rogers and Tony Stark traveled to 1970 seeking the Space Stone at Camp Lehigh. Steve overhears Peggy Carter -- then Director of SHIELD -- discussing a mission in which "Braddock's unit has been stopped by lightning strikes." It's easy to miss amid Rogers' emotional shock at seeing the love of his life again, but it leaves the door open for Captain Britain to arrive.
Secret Invasion Reveals the Core of a British Superhero Team
The Secret Invasion season finale may be laying the groundwork for something bigger. The series reveals Falsworth as a friendly rival of Nick Fury, who gets the better of him more than once. With Fury instrumental in forming The Avengers, and with the decidedly sketchier Thunderbolts on the way, she could very well decide that the UK needs a super-squad of its own. G'iah appears to be the first recruit: complete with Super-Skrull powers and an agreement to help Farnsworth in exchange for working to gain Skrull acceptance on Earth. Dane Whitman is also on the table, and with his path unclear after Eternals, Falsworth could readily come calling. Captain Britain is also associated with reality-jumping in the comics, providing a chance for the Spider-Verse's Hobie Brown to crossover, as well as What If…?'s Captain Carter.
But perhaps the most intriguing possibility is the potential introduction of the X-Men through a British super-team. Braddock shares creative DNA with the team -- Claremont is best known for his run on Marvel's mutants -- and if Falsworth intends to build a version of Excalibur, including an introductory mutant among their ranks would be a snap. Braddock's reality-hopping experiences could bring them in from another part of the multiverse as well.
Regardless, the ball is in motion, with Secret Invasion promising more from both MI6 and its new Super-Skrull friend. Building an all-UK super-team not only makes a good deal of sense from a narrative standpoint but can pay big dividends depending on the MCU's plans for the future. Falsworth and G'iah are two of the streaming series' high points, and with the finale promising more, a British team along the lines of Excalibur may just be a matter of time.
All episodes of Secret Invasion are currently streaming on Disney+.