Secret Invasion Episode 5 Brings An Exciting MCU Movie Cameo: That Guy!

This article discusses spoilers for the latest episode of "Secret Invasion."

It isn't every day that a Marvel production naturally lends itself to the potential for cameos that will assuredly get fans buzzing. With instances like "Spider-Man: No Way Home" or "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," you could practically sense the scripts straining to come up with a justification — any justification — to allow for their respective, headline-grabbing character appearances. But with the shapeshifting Skrulls at the center of the action, capable of becoming anyone at any time, "Secret Invasion" feels like the rare example of a premise that organically calls for either the biggest A-list appearances around (last night's episode, which I recapped here, does namedrop Carol Danvers in a none-too-subtle way) or the deepest possible cuts from the most unexpected installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Well, for better or worse, episode 5 chose to follow the latter route. In a cameo appearance that most fans wouldn't necessarily be expected to recognize, "Secret Invasion" chose to bring back O-T Fagbenle as Rick Mason, of all characters. Eagle-eyed devotees, of course, will instantly recognize this minor character from "Black Widow" as an off-the-grid smuggler who helped procure resources and a hideout for Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff. As much as Fagbenle effortlessly brings a sense of world-weariness to the role, this isn't exactly the most thrilling cameo the MCU has ever delivered, to say the least. But it is one that makes perfect sense for the smaller-scale espionage tone that links "Black Widow" and "Secret Invasion," with the additional bonus of further tying Fury's circle of spies together with that of his most famous agent of them all, Black Widow.

Alright, who among us had looked at Las Vegas over/under odds on Rick Mason appearances in the MCU and picked the over? Because we're now officially at a total of two after the latest episode of "Secret Invasion," which is two more than I ever would've expected.

In all seriousness, one of the more satisfying aspects of the MCU is that no character is considered too minor to provide some connective tissue between different movies and shows. Mason, who as far as I can remember doesn't even have his actual name spoken aloud in either "Black Widow" or "Secret Invasion," nonetheless shows up once again to provide a similar service to Fury that he did for Natasha. This time, rather than providing shelter, provisions, and a fully operational Quinjet for the legendary Black Widow, he supplies Fury with a passport, a photostatic veil (the fancy in-universe term for a face mask), and some unsolicited advice to get Fury to lighten up a little. All that work and no appreciation to show for it whatsoever, poor Rick Mason!

It's worth noting that this isn't even the only "Black Widow" reference in the series thus far. Back in episode 3 when we see the flashback to Varra (Charlayne Woodard) and Fury meeting undercover, Fury's Skrull wife hands over some mysterious information that she claims will "...put Dreykov's men on their heels," which obviously alludes to Rey Winstone's villainous General Dreykov from the 2021 prequel film. Between this, the Widow's Veil (as Olivia Colman's Sonya Falsworth refers to it with Fury later on), and Mason's brief reappearance, it's somewhat reassuring to know that Marvel hasn't forgotten about this little corner of their universe.

The season finale of "Secret Invasion" airs on Disney+ next Wednesday.