One of Marvel’s most famous comic book events, Secret Invasion, has finally been turned into a Disney+ series. The Skrulls, a race of shape-shifting aliens, are followed as they secretly invade Earth and steal the identities of several Marvel heroes to rule the entire planet.
For its complex characters, striking visuals, and interconnected plotlines, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has always earned praise. With multiple female characters serving as the stars of their own movies, it has also received appreciation for its representation of powerful women.
But recently, we have witnessed the on-screen deaths of many of our favorite female Avengers, with Marvel frequently killing off its female Avengers. In the miniseries Secret Invasion, one of our favorite female characters also was killed off leaving fans disheartened.
The female Avengers that were killed off before the Secret Invasion
Marvel has had a group of incredible female Avengers that were strong and beloved by everyone. But some of these amazing Avengers have been killed on screen. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) initially did not treat female characters favorably. They frequently served as supporting or romantic interests, and the male characters were often motivated by their death.
A unique exception was Peggy Carter. She was a fierce, independent woman who fought for respect in a society that wasn’t interested in giving it. However, even her death in Captain America: Civil War could be viewed as an instance of “fridging,” in which a female character is eliminated to inspire the male protagonist.
Another female character who was fridged was Gamora. She was largely portrayed as Peter Quill’s romantic interest, and her sacrifice in Avengers: Infinity War was only used to advance his storyline and provide more information about Thanos.
The character of Black Widow was more complex. Throughout her appearances, she underwent a lot of growth, and her sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame to get the Soul Stone benefited her own storyline. But because of the timing of her passing and the MCU having previously lost a number of important female characters, questions were raised about how the studio managed their female characters.
The MCU’s Scarlet Witch had undergone a difficult transformation from a villain to an Avenger. Although it is still unclear what happened to her in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the filmmakers wanted to show her as dead. If so, she will join the list of female characters in the MCU that have died. Since their deaths are often used as a story element, the female Avengers are often disregarded.
In Secret Invasion, which female Avenger died?
Another beloved female character died in the most recent miniseries, Secret Invasion. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Maria Hill played by actress Cobie Smulders, a SHIELD agent, had a prominent role in a number of films and TV series, particularly The Avengers.
Smulders’s character, however, suffered a destiny that also defines the case of fridging in the first episode of Secret Invasion. Instead of having her own character development, her role in the series was restricted to warning Samuel L. Jackson’s character Nick Fury, before she was killed, and acting as a spark for Fury’s personal involvement in the war. Many fans were looking forward to seeing more of Maria Hill’s character and prospective storylines, but her early death has left them disappointed.
Source: The Direct
Frequently asked questions
Which female Avengers: Endgame-era characters does the article say Marvel has killed off?
It names five: Peggy Carter, who dies in Captain America: Civil War; Gamora, sacrificed by Thanos on Vormir for the Soul Stone in Avengers: Infinity War; Black Widow, who sacrifices herself on Vormir in Avengers: Endgame; Scarlet Witch, whose fate is left ambiguous after the Mount Wundagore collapse in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness; and Maria Hill, killed in the premiere of Secret Invasion. The piece frames these as a recurring pattern rather than a single event.
What is "fridging," and how does the article apply it to these deaths?
"Fridging" is a long-standing pop-culture term for killing off a female character mainly to motivate or advance a male hero’s storyline rather than to serve her own arc. The article applies it to several of these deaths, arguing for example that Maria Hill’s death functions as a spark for Nick Fury’s personal involvement in Secret Invasion. It presents this as cultural criticism and opinion, not an official Marvel statement.
Is Scarlet Witch confirmed dead in the MCU?
No. As the article notes, her status was left deliberately unclear after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where she appears buried under the collapsing Mount Wundagore. Filmmakers have said they wanted to imply her death, but Marvel has not officially confirmed she is gone, and multiverse characters have returned before. Any claim of a definite return or recast should be treated as fan speculation unless Marvel announces it.
