Secret Invasion: Is Maria Hill dead?

❘ Published: 2023-06-27T11:03:11

Disney+

Did Maria Hill die in Secret Invasion? Episode 1 of the new MCU series ends on a literal bombshell – so, is Maria Hill dead?

In our review, we wrote: “Secret Invasion Episode 1 is a strong proof-of-concept premiere; some may have doubted the dramatic weight of its premise, but this is a riveting vision for the MCU.”

The pilot sees Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) return to Earth, where he reunites with Maria (Cobie Smulders) and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn). Since the events of Endgame, while he’s been away managing S.A.B.E.R., a radical Skrull faction led by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) has begun its efforts to infiltrate the planet and tear mankind apart.

His plan is simple: steer the world into all-out war, seize all of its resources, and make it their home. However, Maria gets caught in the crossfire of one of his plots – so, is she dead? Spoilers to follow…

Is Maria Hill dead in Secret invasion?

Yes, Maria Hill died in the first episode of Secret Invasion.

The ending of the premiere sees Gravik execute his plan to bomb Moscow on Unity Day, with multiple explosions rocking Vossoyedineniye Square and, presumably, killing hundreds of civilians.

As people around her try to flee, Maria catches sight of Fury and walks over to him – and then he shoots her in the stomach. She falls to the ground, and he stands over her with his gun, ready to kill her.

Of course, this isn’t the real Fury – it’s Gravik. When our Fury runs over, he smiles at him before returning to his true form and disappearing into the crowds. As Fury checks on Maria, she says: “It was you.” He replies: “Not me.” Within seconds, she passes away, and the episode ends with a shot of her dead body on the ground.

Maria Hill's death scene in Secret Invasion Episode 1

In an interview with TV Line, Smulders said she was “thrilled” about the show. “It looks so good, and it’s a very different tone than I’ve seen [in the MCU]. I mean, having Sam [Jackson] in anything is just a thrill to watch, but I think it really sets his character up in a really interesting way that I’ve always wanted to see,” she said.

Smulders also said it’s “the most depth I’ve been able to show of Maria Hill… that’s the beauty of these series that Marvel is doing, you’re able to really get backstory of these characters.

“What are the conversations that happen when they’re just sitting around drinking coffee? It’s not like, ‘We’ve gotta get the bad guys! We’ve gotta get the thing! We’ve gotta save the world again!’ It’s like, ‘Let’s just have a chat, let’s go for a walk.’ We get to see those kinds of moments and be a bit more intimate with the characters.”

Speaking to Vanity Fair, the star continued: “Maria Hill’s passing is very real, and it’s shocking, and it feels very human… it was a sad day. I don’t think I’ve ever died on camera. I got a real death scene!”

Secret Invasion Episode 2 hits Disney+ on June 28. Check out our other coverage below: