Earth just might be the target of another upcoming alien invasion in The Marvels, only these aliens are a lot fluffier than the Chitauri.
Photos reportedly from the set of the upcoming film in New York City show a visual effects crew member alongside three cat-like props that strongly resemble the Flerken. The Flerkens are an intelligent, feline-like alien race first introduced in 2019's Captain Marvel. The photos were shared by The Cosmic Circus.
The photos were taken in or near NYC's Battery Park, and show the crew member staging the props at various locations within. No context is provided, but the images are a strong indication the Flerkens will soon be back in the modern-day MCU.
Who Are the Flerkens?
In Captain Marvel, a Flerken named Goose was the companion to Kree scientist Mar-Vell, played by Annette Bening. Goose later came into the company of Carol Danvers, played by Brie Larson in the ‘90s-era film. The alien creature at one point swallowed the Tesseract, later known to house the Space Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones.
In the process, Goose badly scratches and injures Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, providing the origin of the loss of Fury's eye. In the film's post-credits scene, Goose regurgitates the Tesserract on Fury's desk. The Tesseract went on to play a significant role in the early MCU films, beginning with 2011's Thor, when Fury revealed the artifact to a Loki-controlled Erik Selvig. Loki went on to create havoc with the Tesseract, along with the Chitauri, in 2012's The Avengers.
Since Captain Marvel, no Flerkens have since been seen in the MCU -- at least as far as anyone is aware. The feline creatures first appeared in 2005's Giant Size Ms. Marvel #1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Marcio Takara. Despite their cat-like similarities, the aliens can extend tentacles from their mouths, and reproduce by laying eggs. Their bodies can also contain pocket realities. In the comic series, Carol Danvers' pet cat Chewie was a Flerken, although Danvers didn't know this initially.
The Marvels features Larson and Jackson reprising their respective roles, as well as Teyonah Parris' return as Monica Rambeau, who also appeared in WandaVision on Disney+. Iman Vellani also returns as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan, fresh from her origin story in Disney+'s Ms. Marvel. It's unknown if Goose will reappear, but from the set photos, it's clear at least some members of his species will.
The Marvels hits theaters on July 28, 2023.
Source: The Cosmic Circus