The seventh episode of WandaVision fixes an intriguing plothole concerning Nick Fury’s apparent involvement with S.W.O.R.D. and the suggestion they are the other true villains of the Disney+ show. The post-credits sequence of Spider-Man: Far From Home, which saw the revelation of Fury’s mysterious space mission alongside the surviving Skrulls features a telling background detail that appeared to show the former S.H.I.E.L.D. director as aware of the situation in Westview. That, in conjunction with his lack of intervention in Acting Director Hayward’s plans seemed to hint at a level of complicity that would put Fury on the wrong side.
The assumption at the time of that revelation was that Fury had spent his years away from S.H.I.E.L.D. setting up an alternate agency, whether a version of S.W.O.R.D. or Alpha Flight. The S.W.O.R.D. theory was then lent further weight when the Hex was revealed as part of WandaVision and the same hexagon shape was spotted on a monitor in the Far From Home scene behind Fury retrospectively. Whatever his official involvement with S.W.O.R.D. it seemed he had some awareness and Fury’s oversight would hardly allow for Hayward’s team to be evil without some knowledge. The unfortunate conclusion was that Fury was working with a nefarious agency, putting his own moral alignment in question.
That plot-hole questioning Fury’s morals has now got an answer thanks to WandaVision’s confirmation that Hayward’s Project Cataract is not a full S.W.O.R.D. operation exactly and more his own agenda. That much is suggested by the fact that Monica is still able to call on assistance from S.W.O.R.D. in creating her rover vehicle without Hayward stopping it (as well as the level of secrecy around the plan). There are clearly two factions within the organization and that helpfully means that Fury can still be aligned to S.W.O.R.D. without being aligned to Hayward. That, at least on the surface, solves the issue of why Fury might be working with a seemingly evil group.
It actually wouldn’t be entirely outrageous or illogical for Fury to take a stance against the threat of Scarlet Witch. Quite apart from his being snapped away by Thanos, Fury was at the forefront of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s project to secretly build weapons after the invasion of Earth by Thor and the Destroyer. He and Tony Stark shared a goal of protecting Earth no matter the cost. Even knowing the Avengers layer was no guarantee his prime goal had shifted: their very manifesto was an extension of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s weapon program. So his being involved in S.W.O.R.D. fits somewhat, but the idea of him stealing the corpse of Vision to reanimate him and seeking to wipe out Scarlet Witch is far beyond that logic. It takes everything established in Fury’s arc and twists it into typical villain territory.
Hayward might have ideals that were borne out of his traumatic Avengers: Endgame experience but his use of those ideals is what makes him a bad guy. He is a Thanos or Zemo-type villain, using the excuse of his own personal trauma as justification for an unambiguously evil agenda. To suggest – even accidentally – that Fury is like him or working with him is a huge disservice to the long-established character. Whether Fury is involved actively with S.W.O.R.D. or not remains to be confirmed, but the suggested alliance is enough to have thrown Fury’s current MCU role into doubt. Secret Invasion will no doubt clarify his position but for now, the introduction of the apparently different factions of S.W.O.R.D. is a welcome solution for those watching who may have read the signs in WandaVision and the hint in Far From Home‘s post-credits as an indication that Fury had lost his way.
Originally from https://screenrant.com/wandavision-sword-plothole-nick-fury-villains-hayward-goodner/