After the cosmic adventures of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is returning back to its Earth roots for a spy thriller. This time, we’re following an aged Nick Fury as he races against time to save the planet from a rogue faction of Skrulls looking to replace key leaders of Earth with their own. This is “Secret Invasion”.
Unlike previous MCU TV shows on Disney+, “Secret Invasion” seems to be going for a darker, more grounded take as Fury must wage a shadow war. While we got to see some globe-trotting military action in “Falcon and the Winter Soldier”, we missed the intriguing world of espionage explored in films like “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “Black Widow”.
So, can “Secret Invasion” deliver on its promise of thrills and a new exciting chapter for the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. or will this just be filler to hold us over until “The Marvels”? Let’s find out!
Review
The opening scene of the first episode does a fantastic job of setting the tone for the entire series. This MCU series isn’t looking to bank on its intertextual currency or set up fun, new, quirky characters for future properties. Instead, there seems to be a clear-minded focus on telling a modern Cold War-era spy story set within the MCU. There’s a foreboding sense of dread that permeates throughout the episode, from the creeping score to the way characters seem to check their six at all times. We’ve seen plenty of aliens in the MCU come and go, mostly over New York, but “Secret Invasion” feels different, in a good way!
Samuel L. Jackson has mostly taken the backseat in the MCU after the events of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”. He’s appeared as either a sidekick to Carol Danvers or as a laidback commander overseeing operations from his S.A.B.R.E. space station. Essentially, he’s been disneyfied for a little too long, the character has lost its edge. “Secret Invasion” brings us back to the old Nick Fury that we know and love. The kind that’s morally ambiguous, haunted by his past and not afraid to get his hands dirty.
That being said, the stakes set up in the first episode don’t quite land as hard as they should, in spite of the talk of the global world war and secret infiltration. We’ve already seen Earth become a battleground for the Chitauri, Thanos’ army and Gorr and his minions. It’s hard for even the most ardent MCU fan to not be cynical about the premise of the show. One promising aspect, however, that could possibly break through our comic-book film/TV show fatigue is the appearance of on-screen deaths. No bloodless corpses like we saw in “Avengers: Endgame” with Natasha Romanov. Little touches like these aid do inspire some hope, the same way “Andor” did.
Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, Fury’s partner and the soft-hearted leader of the Skrulls, has excellent chemistry with Jackson’s Fury. The familiar friendship between them, strained from years apart and broken promises, adds a neat layer of complexity to the main plot of the aged agent going rogue to take down a secret threat a’la Jason Bourne. The lighter moments Fury shares with Talos serve to further solidify the complicated feelings he has for this fight. He is responsible to the Skrulls and also held accountable for their actions on Earth. Does he have to put the Skrulls down for good? Or is there a more diplomatic compromise that could be worked out? Those are the kind of intriguing moral dilemmas that were raised in “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” as well. Hopefully…they do better here.
One of the best reasons for us to stay, personally, is Olivia Colman’s Sonya Falsworth. We absolutely adore Colman’s biting wit and infectious energy in “Peep Show” and “The Favourite”. Much like Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, it’s always a treat to see how comedic titans fare in the world of comic-book films. Emilia Clarke’s G’iah, refreshingly, doesn’t seem to embody the typical standoffish stereotype of the prodigal child. Her allegiances are tangled, which could result in some very interesting implications. Is she a true believer, or a secret double agent? Perhaps she’ll move from one side to the other by the end. It’s still too early to see if Kingsley Ben-Adir’s Gravik will make for a worthy foe for our heroes, but we’re holding out hope that the series will properly flesh out his motivations.
Verdict
All in all, “Secret Invasion” is an easy sell for longtime MCU fans, with favourites like Nick Fury returning to the fold. Newcomers devoid of any personal attachment to the Marvel brand might find the appeal of its shape-shifter spy-thriller novelty and its twisty mind games enough to draw them in for the whole affair. What we’re wondering is if “Secret Invasion” will pay off its solid opening act, and death, with something significant and consequential to the wider MCU. For that, stick around to hear our full thoughts on the series.
You can now catch Marvel’s “Secret Invasion” on Disney+ Hotstar today!
