Warning: This article contains spoilers for Secret Invasion episode six.
The Secret Invasion finale had a lot on its plate, not just concluding this story about a global crisis threatening to create World War III but also setting the stage for multiple upcoming MCU projects. While it arguably failed to do the first with as much aplomb as we’d like, to be fair to the episode it did move a few key pieces around on the board to where they need to be as Phase Five continues. That includes establishing the coming of Harrison Ford to the franchise in a very sneaky way.
Despite a Skrull literally dying to save his life back in episode four (R.I.P. Talos, you deserved so much better), President Ritson takes militant action against the Skrull population of Earth in the wake of his trusted advisor, Colonel “Rhodey” Rhodes, being outed as an alien imposter. His call to arms against the species creates an international atmosphere of fear and violence that leads to human vigilantes lashing out, costing the lives of innocent humans and Skrulls in the process.
Fury admonishes Ritson in the wake of his actions, telling him: “You took a bad situation and made it worse. That’s real one-term president stuff.” On the one hand, this was an effective low blow from Fury as it hit the politician where it hurts: with the threat that he’s ruined his chances of re-election. However, once you remember what’s coming in the MCU, Fury’s comment becomes not a threat but an entirely accurate prediction.
Harrison Ford is all set to enter the fray in summer 2024’s Captain America: Brave New World, in which he will take over the role of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross from the late William Hurt. For this appearance, Ross will have been elected to the office of president himself. So clearly Fury’s warning is bang on the money. Ristson’s reckless, bloodthirsty handling of the Skrull situation costs him the next election, allowing Ross to take over the hot seat.
Whether Ross will be any better a leader for the free world remains to be seen, however, as it’s widely assumed he’ll serve as an antagonistic presence to Sam Wilson’s Sentinel of Liberty in the movie. But he can’t be any worse a president than Ritson, right?
