I Can’t Believe This Character From ‘Black Widow’ Is Back!

Marvel’s Secret Invasion series on Disney+ has been bringing a lot of characters we know and love to life in new and exciting ways while keeping us on the edge of our seats. As we head into the finale of the series next week, the penultimate episode, titled “Harvest,” had Nick Fury trying to figure out where he can exist in a world that is turning against him. And who does he turn to in those moments? Rick Mason.

Rick Mason was introduced in Black Widow, when Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) needed gear to get off the grid. Rick, played by O-T Fagbenle, clearly loved helping Nat and would do it despite his own fear of what was going to happen to him. He got her the plane she took to reunite with Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson before Infinity War, and he helped Nat and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) when they were trying to find the Red Room.

Seeing him back in Secret Invasion brings up some questions but also makes a lot of sense. Nat knew him and worked with him, so it isn’t surprising that Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) does as well. Given their status and work done together, Nat and Fury having similar connections just makes sense. Getting things for the Avengers isn’t an easy deal and he clearly loves doing it as we see him teasing Fury in “Harvest.” Still, it is exciting to have Rick Mason back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

We didn’t get to see much of him in Black Widow, and now, with Secret Invasion, we have just a little tease of his continued work with the team—but he does have a comic book history that could come into play as he continues to show up.

Rick Mason’s comic book history

When Black Widow came out, it introduced us to Rick and then never brought him back up again. In the comics, he was a mercenary and wasn’t exactly the “can get you what you want” guy we see in Black Widow and Secret Invasion, but was trained by Fury himself. Called “The Agent,” he eventually went freelance and worked with a lot of different people—the important thing here being that he trained with Fury.

That is something we haven’t explored in the Marvel Cinematic Universe yet, though Fury and Mason talking to each other in Secret Invasion did set the wheels in my mind in motion to figure out whether or not the MCU would go that route. We only have one episode of Secret Invasion left, with a lot of plot to cover, so I don’t think that Mason will make another appearance, but the fact that he’s been brought back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe says a lot—mainly that his story isn’t yet over.

Whether that includes his comic past with Fury remains to be seen. Until we know more, at least we have hope that Rick Mason will continue to show up.

(featured image: Walt Disney Studios)