Editor’s note: The following content contains spoilers for the first two episodes of Marvel’s Secret Invasion.
One of the key questions arising from the initial episodes of Secret Invasion is the allegiance of G’iah (Emilia Clarke), the estranged daughter of Talos (Ben Mendelsohn). Currently affiliated with the Skrull resistance, G’iah is growing disillusioned with their violent methods, particularly under the leadership of Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir). While she has attempted to assist her father and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in preventing a resistance attack, it remains uncertain whether this is sufficient redemption for her past involvement in criminal activities. The enigmatic nature of the series leaves many details about her moral alignment unanswered. Another pressing question arises: is G’iah beyond redemption, regardless of her future choices?
In the premiere, G’iah is introduced as she welcomes a Skrull refugee named Beto (Samuel Adewunmi) to New Skrullos. She is then tasked with picking up two bags from a bomb maker named Poprishchin (Uriel Emil) and delivering them to the resistance’s safe house in Moscow. Eventually, G’iah reveals to her father that she has marked the three bombs with infrared spray, with the intention of aiding him and Fury in capturing the bombers before the attack takes place. However, the bags turn out to be decoys, and Gravik successfully triggers the bombs during a Russian Unity Day celebration.
In the second episode, G’iah is deeply affected by the devastation caused by the bombing. She investigates Gravik’s secret project, which involves experiments with the DNA of alien and super-powered beings. When Gravik and his forces launch an attack to rescue a Skrull warrior, G’iah is seen making a phone call in Russian before authorities arrive at the safe house. While Brogan is blamed for tipping off the authorities, G’iah’s involvement in allowing someone else to take the fall raises concerns about her redemption.
The series benefits from G’iah’s double-agent role, offering insight into Gravik’s plans without categorizing him as a stereotypical super-villain. However, the longer G’iah refrains from taking a clear stand against Gravik, the more challenging her redemption becomes. She becomes increasingly complicit in the organization’s atrocities, despite her emotional responses.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has established certain standards for forgiving characters’ past crimes, emphasizing their knowledge and control over their actions. Characters like Bucky Barnes and the Black Widow assassins committed their acts under extreme mind control and manipulation, leading to feelings of guilt despite their lack of agency. On the other hand, Loki and Baron Zemo made conscious choices to harm others, making them unequivocal villains. The MCU films and series do not necessarily argue that their later heroic actions make up for their villainous pasts.
Applying these principles to G’iah, her potential redemption hinges on her knowledge and involvement in the bombing. If she knew about the decoys, any attempts to redeem her character would lose significance, as she would bear responsibility for the deaths resulting from the blasts and the killing of Maria Hill. Additionally, G’iah’s personal motivations, driven by revenge rather than a sense of justice, complicate the path to redemption. For her to be considered a hero, she must eventually oppose Gravik because it is the right thing to do, rather than for personal reasons.
While it is acceptable for Secret Invasion to keep G’iah as an anti-hero or sympathetic villain, the first two episodes suggest a future trajectory where she is regarded as a hero. If this is the case, the series must navigate carefully, clarifying her moral stance and reducing moral ambiguity. New episodes of Secret Invasion premiere on Disney+ every Wednesday.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
