One of Secret Invasion‘s returning players is none other than Martin Freeman’s Everett Ross. Though he hasn’t been as central to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Nick Fury or Rhodey, Ross has seen his share of superhuman activities. Before watching Secret Invasion, here’s Everett Ross’ MCU history.
Who is Everett Ross?
Long before Secret Invasion, Everett Ross first appeared in Captain America: Civil War as the man in charge of the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre. After taking part in the capture of Bucky Barnes following the latter being accused of killing King T’Chaka, Ross confronts Captain America and Falcon after their battle with Black Panther. Once Bucky escapes and Helmut Zemo is brought in after being revealed to be the mastermind behind everything, Ross taunts the villain.
In Black Panther, Ross is now hunting down Ulysses Klaue for the CIA. Ross allies himself with the Wakandans, who are pursuing Klaue for taking Vibranium, and ends up interrogating Klaue himself. When Erik Killmonger frees Klaue, Ross takes a bullet for Nakia but is healed in Wakanda by Shuri. Ross reveals Killmonger’s military backstory and accompanies the team to recruit M’Baku, then pilots a Royal Talon Fighter to help defend Wakanda against the villain. Ross is present when Wakanda opens itself up to the United Nations.
Everett Ross next appears in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where he provides Okoye and Shuri with information about Riri Williams/Ironheart. He keeps Queen Ramonda in the loop about Shuri’s disappearance then learns that the President of the United States is seeking to destabilize Wakanda. After infiltrating the NSA to ensure the government can’t recreate Williams’ Vibranium Detector, Ross is arrested by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine — Director of the CIA and his ex-wife — for sharing information with the Wakandans. Before he can be incarcerated, Ross is freed by Okoye, leading to his state of freedom ahead of Secret Invasion.
In the first episode of Secret Invasion, we learn that who we thought was Ross in the opening scene was actually a Skrull. Whether or not the real Everett Ross will appear in future episodes is currently unknown.
Who is Martin Freeman?
Martin Freeman is a celebrated English actor who has been in everything from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy to Hot Fuzz. Some of his most iconic roles include that of Bilbo Baggins in the Hobbit trilogy, Tim Canterbury in The Office, and Dr. John Watson in BBC’s Sherlock, which he starred in alongside Benedict Cumberbatch.
