Secret Invasion Episode 5: Where Has Mason Appeared Before In The MCU?

The following contains spoilers from the July 19 episode of Secret Invasion.

In the fifth episode of Secret Invasion (now streaming on Disney+), Fury got an assist from a semi-familiar face — especially to those who saw the MCU film Black Widow.

Midway through the July 19 episode, titled "Harvest," Fury — now the "most wanted, hated man in America" after Skrull Rhodey leaked the (misleading) Maria Hill execution video to the public– made tracks for Finland, to among other things retrieve the titular collection of Avengers DNA.

Fury did not fly commercial, of course, but took a PJ, where MCU fans were treated to a cameo from Rick Mason, played by O-T Fagbenle. Greeting his very important passenger, Mason marveled at how Fury had landed on Interpol's no-fly list, noted in passing that the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier had been "mothballed" (as perhaps Fury himself should be!), and then provided Fury with a small case (inside of which was Widow Veil tech and/or his fake ID.)

The fact that Rick Mason — a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent-turned-independent contractor — proved so resourceful comes as no surprise to those who saw 2021's Black Widow "origin" film, where he served as a very helpful ally of Scarlet Johannson's Natasha Romanoff while she was on the run from Thaddeus Ross following the events of Civil War.

Portrayer O-T Fagbenle is also very familiar to viewers of Hulu's acclaimed The Handmaid's Tale (where for five seasons he has played Luke), Showtimes First Lady (as Barack Obama), BBC's The Interceptor and HBO's Looking, among other projects.

Did you quickly place "Mason" when he appeared aboard Fury's jet? If not, did you sense the character had to be "somebody," to get such a playful scene?