Small Details You Missed In The Second Secret Invasion Trailer

The second trailer for "Secret Invasion" continues to turn in convincing evidence for its potential to outshine other Marvel Cinematic Universe Disney+ shows. The premise of the MCU's finest spymaster taking on a faction of shape-shifters is practically dripping with the kind of double-cross-heavy espionage intrigue that "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" did so well, and the new trailer makes it very clear that everyone involved is extremely dangerous. Along with the footage that carries over from the first trailer, we gain some new insight into Olivia Colman's Special Agent Sonya Falsworth, Emilia Clarke's G'iah, and Kingsley Ben-Adir's explosively dangerous Gravik ... as well as Nick Fury's (Samuel L. Jackson) own fugitive status in the series.

Because "Secret Invasion" will almost certainly be all about subterfuge and spy shenanigans, it would be unwise to take anything the trailer shows us at face value. However, because it's still an MCU trailer, keen eyes can spot certain small details that may very well hint at the things to come. Let's take a look at the most interesting ones.

At 1:27, we see a pair of mysterious hands opening an equally mysterious container bearing the seal of the U.S. Department of Damage Control, the government branch that handles the aftermath of various skirmishes of the "superheroes vs. aliens" variety. The department is in the habit of collecting all sorts of cool alien artifacts for future use, and the label on the container might just offer us a hint about its contents.

The text "SPECIMEN SAMPLE: CULL" seems to imply that the box might contain some of Cull Obsidian's (Terry Notary) remains. The massive member of Thanos' (Josh Brolin) Black Order conveniently lost a hand in a battle with Wong (Benedict Wong) during the events of "Avengers: Infinity War," and said appendage was left to its own devices in the middle of New York City.

This seems like the exact kind of thing that the Department of Damage Control would quietly mop up and carry into highly secure storage somewhere. As for who's after it and why, that remains to be seen ... but a severed hand of a Hulk-sized superstrong alien does seem like a potentially hazardous artifact in a show that's full of shape-shifters. Maybe one Skrull or another wants to study Cull's hand in order to transform into the Black Order member?

At 1:03, a voice is heard asking where the Avengers are. Fury then says that the upcoming Skrull invasion is one he needs to fight alone. However, in "Secret Invasion" #8 by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu, the Avengers play a much more integral role in unfolding events.

The "Secret Invasion" comic book story arc features the likes of multiple Avengers teams, the Fantastic Four, and the rest of the Marvel Universe dealing with a Skrull outbreak on Earth as heroes struggle to trust one another amid the possible shape-shifters replacing them, including Spider-Woman, Elektra, Hank Pym, Hawkeye, and even Black Bolt — the latter of whom is a Super-Skrull who tricks the Illuminati into believing he is the real thing. Up until the very end of the eight-issue limited series, it seemed possible that anyone could be a Skrull.

The "Secret Invasion" live-action series might not feature the Avengers as prominently as the comics, but their presence is still likely to be felt throughout the show. With War Machine (Don Cheadle) also appearing in the project, Fury and Maria Hill's (Cobie Smulders) closeness to the Avengers, and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) and the Skrulls coming directly from the events of "Captain Marvel" in the MCU, it's safe to assume that even without Earth's Mightiest Heroes as directly involved, as in the comics, they will be a crucial part of what's coming in "Secret Invasion."

Not to get too morbid, but the last time we visited the grave of one Nicholas J. Fury, it wasn't on what looked to be a hill near some dense woodland. In fact, it wasn't even the same headstone. And yet here, at 1:40, we have the master spy, accompanied by Sonya Falsworth, visiting a grave with his name on it but bearing a very different quote from the meta-molded one we saw in "Winter Soldier."

You might recall that at the end of Captain America's (Chris Evans), second solo film, Fury fakes his death and chats with Steve over his own empty grave, which reads, "The path of the righteous man... Ezekiel 25:17," a reference to Samuel L. Jackson's role in "Pulp Fiction." The headstone on "Secret Invasion," however, is engraved with an actual quote from the Bible and not a legendary Quentin Tarantino-penned line: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Could this adjustment not be an adjustment at all, and this is another final resting place belonging to someone who stood in Nick's place? You see where we're going with this, right?

It's here where we pull out the conspiracy-class red thread in spools and start joining the dots to what may well spell DOOM (no, not that one) for our favorite Skrull sidekick, Talos. After visiting the spare grave, Fury heads to a crypt and pulls out a pistol, claiming that the recent matter is a "personal" one. What is it that could cause one of the MCU's coolest customers to be so rattled? It only takes a bunch of quick cuts from an explosive sequence involving helicopters to make it clear.

At 1:12, we see a convoy being attacked by a group of helicopters followed by a female figure (possibly G'iah) bending over a body as aircraft soar overhead. About 25 seconds later, we then see Talos looking in a really bad state. Could these moments be out of order, and could this be the end of Talos — a man who "lay down his life for his friends" and is later buried in Fury plot No. 2? If so, it would explain why Nick is going it alone to get the job done and what could lead him to collide with G'iah as the bitter daughter of his late friend.

Considering that the Skrulls have been around since 1995 (the year in which "Captain Marvel" is set), this undercover alien race has had a long time to dig in deep. Decades have passed since Fury first encountered them, with the green-skinned space invaders (good and bad) keeping a low profile. Well, if a brief headline in a newspaper suggests anything, "Secret Invasion" might fill in those gaps.

While a lot looks to be happening in the present day, a flicker of a French newspaper at 1:03 reads "Les Avengers: La Bataille de New York," referring to the events of the initial team-up of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Could this be from a scene set shortly after that event and therefore show us just what the Skrulls have been up to over the years? It would line up with the original comic book the show is based on, which shows the Skrulls' secret activities during major near-world-ending events in Marvel history. Then again, it could just be Fury feeling nostalgic and looking back at a time when there came a day like no other, days that for the former head of SHIELD appear to be well and truly gone.