This article contains spoilers for Secret Invasion episode 5
Fans tuned in bright and early for Secret Invasion‘s penultimate episode this Wednesday, only to discover that another one of their favorite characters and Nick Fury’s strongest ally is killed. The episode has left our S.H.I.E.L.D. commander at rock bottom with Maria Hill, Soren, and now Talos, all dead, and James Rhodey turning out to be a Skrull.
However, an unexpected Marvel character has made his return to the screen after two years to aid Nick Fury. A surprising cameo from Black Widow star O-T Fagbenle is now a hot topic among Secret Invasion fans. Fagbenle’s character Rick Mason is seen in episode five helping Fury, now internationally listed as a ‘most-wanted’ man, obtain the credentials and tech to get through Finnish airport security unscathed.
Mason also provides Fury with the “Widow’s Veil,” a thin, mesh veil of programmable, nano-sized holographic cells, creating a photostatic surface that can mimic the appearance of anybody’s face. The device was notably used by S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA agents to impersonate others.
Who was O-T Fagbenle’s Rick Mason in ‘Black Widow?’
In Black Widow, Rick Mason is introduced as an ally from Natasha Romanoff’s S.H.I.E.L.D. past who is romantically interested in her. According to Fagbenle, Mason is “ready to work for the highest bidder,” implying that he doesn’t necessarily work for a specific organization and is rather a freelance operative. So Mason might have gotten recruited by the S.H.I.E.L.D. during Black Widow’s days in the organization.
In the comics, Mason was called “The Agent”, a name that didn’t include affiliation to a specific government. He helped Natasha get whatever she needed in the movie when she couldn’t seek aid from S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, or the government.
In an interview with ComicBook.com, Fagbenle describes his character as “a finder for people who aren’t so affiliated with armies.” and explained his affiliation with Black Widow:
“Mason’s story starts when Natasha is trying to escape, and she needs a place to hide out. So we hang out for a little bit. And then later on, when she gets in trouble, she calls me up again. I help her out with a Chinook. If you need a helicopter, I’m the guy to ask, and then again every time she’s in trouble, she calls me.”
Fagbenle continues by describing how Natasha takes advantage of his resourcefulness without ever actually making a payment. “She’s always like, ‘Yeah, put it on my tab.’ It’s a pretty long tab by now! I’m a giver.” And it seems that Marvel has now decided that Black Widow doesn’t have to be the only one to benefit from Mason’s connections.
Back in the time of Black Widow‘s release, Fagbenle had his own plans for Mason’s future. He expressed his wish to work with more superheroes: “My number one might be Deadpool, I think Deadpool could probably do with a bit of help.” Instead the studio has brought him back to help Nick Fury. However, it appears that the part is only a cameo, and it is unlikely that we will see more of him in Secret Invasion.
Watch out for the series finale on July 26.