If you loved the vibe of Marvel’s The Falcon And The Winter Soldier series on Disney+, Secret Invasion is right up your alley. In a post Endgame world, Kevin Feige and team have made some interesting decisions, one of which is choosing geopolitics over superpowers as the underlying themes of its shows. It lent a rather interesting tone to TFATWS, rooting it in the very real problems of a very real world full of people suffering in the aftermath of The Blip. With Secret Invasion, directed by Ali Selim, Marvel finds a very organic way to intersect this dark reality with its usual cosmic stakes, this time in the form of a clandestine alien invasion into the powerful political corridors of the world. What’s more, it plonks Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury right in the centre, fighting his own battle, minus his Avenger friends.
As is the question with most Marvel outings, what should you have watched before getting into Secret Invasion? Captain Marvel, of course, is essential reading, because the Brie Larson-led movie is where we first meet the Kree and Skrull species and find out why the Skrulls had to abandon their planet, Skrullos, and come to Earth in the first place. It’s also where we learn the promises that Nick Fury and Carol Danvers made to the Skrull leader Talos and his people, and how not fulfilling said promise leads into the eponymous secret invasion conspiracy.
The series begins with the return of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to Earth, after being away for years, to find out that a faction of Skrulls, thanks to their shape-shifting abilities, have infiltrated powerful political positions around the world, hoping to manipulate geopolitical tensions and start a full-blown war that’ll wipe out humans. He’s contacted by his friend Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), at the behest of the Skrull leader and ally, Talos (Ben Mendelsohn).
Other players in the game include G’iah (Emilia Clarke), Talos’ daughter who has joined the rebel faction under the leadership of the ruthless and unsentimental Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir). There’s also Sonya Falsworth (Olivia Colman), a high-ranking MI6 agent and a long-time friend of Fury’s, who doesn’t mind playing villainously dirty every now and then to protect the interests of her nation. And finally, there’s Col. James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes aka War Machine (Don Cheadle), who swaps the metal suit that gives him superhero powers for a business suit that gives him political power as the POTUS’ (Dermot Mulroney) right-hand guy in these matters.
Also Read: Emilia Clarke Looks Fierce In Marvel’s Secret Invasion Trailer
Yours truly had the privilege of watching the first two episodes of this six-episode miniseries, which is the first series in MCU’s ambitious Phase Five. And Secret Invasion so far does not disappoint. Its opening sequence, a clandestine meeting of two American agents in Russia discussing conspiracy theories, followed by a chase into dark alleyways, oozes gritty spy thriller vibes and sets the tone for the rest of the show. It’s all making secret moves and deals, and not knowing who to trust because are they even human or Skrull? It’s all rather deliciously tense.
The cast is loaded and flexing those acting chops, with an excellent, almost emotionless Kingsley Ben-Adir playing Gravik opposite Emilia Clarke’s complex G’iah who struggles with her allegiances. Her character’s relationship with her father, played by a charming Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, is the heart of this story.
But two episodes in and I already have a favourite. Olivia Colman seems like she’s absolutely enjoying playing MI6 agent Sonya, who is sharp-tongued, deceptively affable, and loves wearing red a lot. She is cold and calculating, and Colman plays her unpredictability with perfection. It’ll be interesting to see how much trouble she will stir up for her frenemy, Nick Fury, and the Skrulls.
The show is poised to let politics take precedence over superpowers, where men on the ground and what they can do is just as dangerous as what heroes flying in the air can do. In fact, in that vein, the show isn’t afraid to take some pretty big swings early on instead of waiting to cram it all in the last few episodes. It’s made clear why Nick Fury won’t tap his powerful friends for this mission and it makes complete sense. This then, becomes a battle that he must fight on his own with the few allies he has, and almost zero support from his country’s resources. Nick Fury is one of the more mysterious characters in the MCU despite being in it for so long. With Secret Invasion, we find out some surprising truths about him. Rest assured Samuel L. Jackson gets some pretty cool lines, and I cannot wait to see how his Fury steps into the hero shoes that he usually ushers others into.
But here’s where Secret Invasion has another ace up its sleeve. It’s also deeply personal. This isn’t just about politics after all. It’s also about the people that have been left behind to deal with the mess that the last couple of years have been and how it has altered them. Fury is clearly not in a good state, both physically and mentally, when he lands back on Earth, and is repeatedly reminded of his slower reflexes. He looks like a broken man, his mental health in shambles. Even Gravik, with everything he is doing, and G’iah who chooses to join him, have a story rooted in broken promises; a loss of faith and an inability to move on from it. The series begins with a monologue about how it has become increasingly difficult to trust and discern what is the truth, even amongst one’s own people. A true crisis of faith.
With this premise, Secret Invasion does have a richly layered story to tell, which I hope it does justice to.
Also Read: The Flash Review: A Super Fun, Emotional Multiverse Outing That Complicates Your Feelings Like Tangled Spaghetti
Verdict
Secret Invasion is a promising new offering from Marvel. Mostly because it is one of the few stories, like The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, from the MCU focusing on the very real political and personal fallout of The Blip on the world and its collective mental health. The decision to keep the tone as a political espionage thriller is an excellent choice, and director Ali Selim, who has directed all six episodes, delivers it bang on from what we’ve seen. I, for one, cannot wait to see what happens next.
Secret Invasion will premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on June 21, 2023, with new episodes weekly.