It may have taken 15 years, but Samuel L. Jackson finally got his own Marvel project. Secret Invasion puts Nick Fury firmly in the protagonist role for an espionage adventure that’s confidently light on superheroes. But despite offering a fresh angle on the MCU, this Cold War-style thriller struggles to evoke the tension and fear its format demands. The result is a six-episode run where every compelling idea is countered by a lingering sense of boredom.
The core concept of Secret Invasion is undeniably fascinating. The Skrulls, a shape-shifting alien species, plan to take over Earth by stealing the faces of humans and infiltrating their militaries and governments. It’s Fury’s espionage movie-inspired mission to root out the enemy and keep the planet safe. Think Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets The Winter Soldier, served with a side of Cold War cinema.
But there’s something off about the recipe. It very quickly becomes clear that Secret Invasion is not interested in hiding its Skrulls. The vast majority of them are introduced in their true forms from the very start, and those who are in disguise are obvious to see. And without the tension of constantly wondering who is the Skrull in the room, Secret Invasion robs itself of the paranoia that not only makes its espionage inspirations tick, but what also made its comic book namesake such a bombshell Marvel story.
In Brian Michael Bendis’ landmark 2008 Secret Invasion comics, each new issue threatened to reveal that your favourite superhero was actually an evil alien. This Disney+ version is an adaptation in name only, and there’s not a single superhero in sight, but that’s okay. It’s only right that it treads its own path. The problem is this alternative interpretation rarely finds its own thrills. There’s little chance of a beloved character revealing their true colours, and despite the world being at stake it never feels authentically in danger. Without any genuine tension, the series ticks on in a manner that’s frequently muted, and sometimes straight up dull.
Despite there being no sense of fear, the underlying stories that power Secret Invasion do hold plenty of promise. As we learned back in Captain Marvel, the MCU Skrulls are refugees in search of a home rather than the extraterrestrial aggressors from the comics. Secret Invasion’s catalyst is the natural tragic end to their journey so far; Fury promised them a home, and many of them are fed up with waiting. This rebellion-forming rift in their community means there’s a sympathetic motivation behind Kingsley Ben-Adir’s Gravik, the leader of the titular invasion.
Gravik’s initial moves feel ripped from the headlines. Gritty footage of explosions tearing apart Russian landmarks lend the opening act a thick and uneasy atmosphere. As confused nations react to their unseen enemy, there’s a sense that the world is starting to crack. But the middle third can’t maintain this ideal tone, and it becomes lost in a variety of generic spy-film plots. There’s little sense of a coherent Skrull agenda, and what would ideally have been the MCU’s most complex television project so far begins to feel lightweight and shallow.
What would ideally have been the MCU’s most complex show so far feels lightweight and shallow.
Ben-Adir’s anger-fuelled performance brings weight to Gravik, especially during his face-to-face time with Fury. But sadly the character falls into the all-too familiar Marvel villain trap of being too thinly written. He’s really well-established, but his episode-to-episode actions and dialogue lack bite and complexity. He also walks closely in the footsteps of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’s Karli Morganthau: Both are sympathetic terrorists let down by those who should have protected them, who walk increasingly violent paths in search of revenge. It means that both of the MCU’s thriller-template shows have explored similar ground, and so Secret Invasion can feel a touch uninspired even in its more interesting moments.
Keeping everything above a minimum quality bar is Samuel L. Jackson. He unquestionably is Nick Fury, and so even episodes where it feels like he’s going through the motions have a little authentic spark to them. But Jackson is at his best when he’s exploring new ground. In a post-Blip word, Fury feels powerless. This cracked and frightened version of the once fearless hero is the basis for a fascinating study on how confronting mortality can shatter one’s sense of purpose. But despite a great start to that story, Secret Invasion leaves it by the wayside for much of its run. A continuing romantic subplot with Fury’s estranged wife Priscilla (an always good Charlayne Woodard) ensures his vulnerable side is never truly forgotten about – but sadly the plot always takes priority over Fury’s personal struggles.
Jackson is surrounded by a strong cast who similarly are rarely given the chance to explore any significant depth. Don Cheadle’s Rhodey feels oddly inconsequential considering his position in the plot, and is penned into a role that never lets him strap on the War Machine suit. Thankfully he’s able to lend some welcome snap and sarcasm to Secret Invasion’s drier political dealings.
Meanwhile, Ben Mendelsohn returns as the ever wonderful Talos and, as with almost everything in Secret Invasion, is best served by the opening episodes. He explores the struggles of living in a skin that’s not his own, representing the millions of Skrulls who are patiently enduring the wait on Fury’s promise. The moments where he confronts Nick on the realities of this situation are among the series’ best. In fact, Secret Invasion has a couple of astute observations on how the United States treats refugees and migrants. They lead to an impactful moment in the finale that drives home the consequences of both the invasion itself and how those in power respond to it.
Frustratingly, Talos’ best material quickly runs out of steam. The same can be said for his daughter, G’iah, played by Emilia Clarke. She should have been Secret Invasion’s most fascinating character; a Skrull walking the dangerous knife edge between the peaceful refugees and Gravik’s rebel faction. But despite having well-drawn ties to both sides, G’iah’s journey is without any challenge or heartache. Clarke does her best, but there’s no uncertainty on her path and even as her allegiance pivots there’s no sense of danger or emotion. In many ways she’s Secret Invasion personified; a collection of really solid foundations that, even when it’s going full steam ahead, feels flat.
In almost direct contrast is Olivia Colman’s Sonya Falsworth, who heads up Britain’s espionage operation with all the energy of a psychopathic mom. She’s wickedly funny, delivering ruthless barbs with a sweet smile. Colman’s ability to drop a punchline while still maintaining the character’s dangerous edge means she helps balance Secret Invasion’s darker tone. The series occasionally struggles to deliver a serious mood with the apparently mandatory comedy quota, and when it resorts to regular Marvel quips the atmosphere can deflate. But Colman is proof that, with the right approach, the MCU can maintain an authentically dangerous tone without fully descending into pitch darkness.
It would have been nice if that sense of playfulness had found its way into Secret Invasion’s presentation. Instead, director Ali Selim delivers six pale facsimiles of the Russo brothers’ Captain America movies. It is admittedly a welcome revisit to the muted colours and gritty texture of the MCU’s espionage template after several high-gloss, CGI-soaked projects. But Secret Invasion lacks the striking shot composition or dynamic action choreography of the likes of The Winter Soldier and Civil War. Scene construction feels static and practically boilerplate, and there’s not a single memorable shot across the entire series. It also falls foul of the MCU trope of setting its most explosive moments on a featureless stage; this time it’s a convoy ambush that takes place on a flat roadside field. Compared to creativity seen in the likes of Bond and Bourne, not to mention the Russos’ own MCU work, it certainly comes up short.
After a couple of years of multiverse-hopping stories and space adventures, Secret Invasion is a welcome return for the MCU’s lesser-used gritty espionage template. It shares a lot of common ground with the Winter Soldier projects, but manages to stand apart thanks to an almost total absence of superheroes and a solid cast of messy central characters. The first two episodes lack the sense of fear that a paranoid thriller really needs, and there’s already the sense that any reveal won’t match the impact of those in the story’s comic book inspiration, but Secret Invasion’s dark tale is nonetheless off to a solid start.
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