Green is the word when it comes to just who might be filling the very important shoes of the 'bad guys' in the highly-anticipated The Avengers film, to be released in 2012, and give the likes of Iron Man, Thor and Captain America a genuine run for their money.
We all know the Hulk is a certain starter in Marvel's superhero megamovie, though just which side of the fence the big fella will initially be sitting in is still any one's guess. But, a rumor that originally surfaced last year has reared its head again and it involves the dreaded Skrull playing a major role in proceedings.
Comic Book Movie says it has received an insider scoop that the green alien shape-shifters well-known in the Marvel universe will in fact be working in the shadows during the first Avengers film, using the Hulk as a puppet, before taking center stage themselves in the sequel.
The rumor goes against a long-held belief that it would be in fact Loki, Thor's evil half-brother, who would be the one to gain control over the not-so jolly green giant, and prompt the organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. to step up a gear in forming its exclusive superhero club.
Writes CBM:
" ... the Skrulls will 'brainwash' and use the Hulk in a similar fashion Loki did in the comics. Don't expect a full on alien invasion, though; that will have to wait for a sequel. The Skrulls' role will be largely clandestine, similar to the way S.H.I.E.L.D. operates."
The Skrulls making an appearance was first mooted last year when it was confirmed they could be used in The Avengers without any legal issues involving Marvel and Fox. Fox controls the rights to the Fantastic Four on the screen and the Skrulls actually made their comic book debut in Fantastic Four #2, way back in 1962. As CHUD discovered Marvel owns the Skrulls, but Fox owns the Super-Skrulls, a variation of the alien race.
The reptilian humanoid Skrulls are themselves the result of genetic experimenting by an older extra-terrestrial race known as the Celestials, and over time have become war-mongering technologically advanced beings. They can assume any form - living or even non-living. They have the ability to turn one of their arms into a weapon such as a knife, a la the T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgment Day. They also possess the power to hypnotize humans - including those turned into certain hulks by gamma rays.
If the Skrulls are indeed where The Avengers are heading, the concept closely follows the 2008 comic series, Secret Invasion, by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Yu. It told the story of a flailing Skrull empire, which makes an all-out effort to infiltrate and conquer Earth. A series of Skrulls first capture and replace many of Earth's superheroes, which is followed by a main assault spearheaded by a generation of new versions of the Super-Skrull, with each possessing the abilities of several different heroes.
There is no doubt The Avengers need a 'super' reason to form and a race of supervillains such as the Skrulls could be it. Though the question has to be asked: Will yet another alien invasion story, which has never been in short supply in film, be a drawback for Marvel's ultimate superhero blockbuster?
Let it be said though the film is in the safest of hands, with Joss Whedon assigned to write and direct - and, as the brains behind Buffy, Angel, Firefly and Dollhouse, knows a thing or two about what it takes to make a successful series.
