Secret Invasion: Why Did They Kill [SPOILER]? The MCU Character's Fate Explained

Contains spoilers for "Secret Invasion" Episode 1 — "Resurrection"

From the marketing, it's been clear "Secret Invasion" would be a darker entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The cold open establishes this as Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) goes on the run and jumps off a building, only to be revealed to be a Skrull. That wouldn't be the only death in the episode, as fans were shocked to see Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) get shot by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) disguised as Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson).

Granted, death isn't always necessarily the end in the MCU. Many characters have come back to life, notably Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg), who was revived for "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." However, it truly seems like it's the end of the line for Hill. When Ross died, he transformed back into his original Skrull self. The camera lingers on Hill's lifeless body, which doesn't change, seemingly confirming she wasn't a Skrull. She could also come back as a Life-Model Decoy like Coulson, but that may be seen as a cop-out. Unless something monumental happens, Hill is likely dead and not coming back unless it's for flashbacks. 

On the surface, Hill's death makes sense to end the first episode of "Secret Invasion." It establishes how big of a threat Gravik and his Skrull comrades are. It also shows how this series won't pull any punches, and anyone could bite the dust. And since Hill thought Fury shot her, it shows how the characters truly can't trust one another, and viewers should be mindful that who they're seeing may not be who they say they are. Maria Hill's death opens up numerous ramifications and is bound to have major consequences going forward in the series. 

Maria Hill's death came as a surprise to many. She's played an integral role in the MCU since 2012's "The Avengers" and has appeared periodically throughout other films and TV series, including "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." She's also an important character in the comics, eventually becoming the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Her demise is bound to have people asking why did they kill Maria Hill.

The answer likely lies in Nick Fury's character development. He's also been paranoid about the dangers in the universe, even going so far as to fake his death. Losing his second-in-command is bound to shake him to his core throughout the remainder of "Secret Invasion," where he truly can't trust anyone within his close circle. Not only that, but the first episode also established how Fury had been M.I.A. since returning from the Blip with minimal contact with Hill and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn). He's been busy on the S.A.B.E.R. space station, so he will likely experience guilt for not being there for Hill during that time. 

In a way, Hill's death could, unfortunately, be viewed as "fridging" the character. This occurs when a character (often female) is killed off to give the male character motivation or to avenge their death. It's a frequent trope in comic books, and Maria Hill's death could definitely be viewed that way, especially if Fury becomes more driven to take down the Skrulls by any means necessary.

While Hill's return is feasible, especially with a multiverse at play now, it doesn't seem likely. It would undermine a powerful moment, and considering Cobie Smulders is credited as a "Special Guest Star," it really seems like she won't return in "Secret Invasion."