The first Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase Five television series arrives in Secret Invasion from Disney+. Kyle Bradstreet serves as the show's head writer, while Ali Selim directs. Set in the present-day MCU, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) learns of a clandestine invasion of earth by a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls led by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir)
Fury joins his allies, including Rhodey (Don Cheadle), Everett Ross (Martin Freemen), Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), and the Skrull Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), who has made a life for himself on earth. Together they race against time to thwart an imminent Skrull invasion and save humanity. New characters introduced in the series are Talos's daughter G" iah (Emila Clarke) and Special Agent Sonya Farnsworth (Oliva Coleman).
The series Secret Invasion revolves around Nick Fury, played by Jackson, who became reclusive and moved to a space station after the blip. However, the first episode sets up an incident that brings him back to earth. Marvel is taking a different direction with this show, as it has the feel of a crime detective story.
Viewers will undoubtedly observe a notable decline in Nick Fury's leadership abilities when watching the series. His recent encounter with Thanos has significantly affected him, leaving even his closest associates and the government questioning his capacity to perform his duties. This shift in his character offers us an unprecedented glimpse into Fury's persona. It's crucial to acknowledge that the series continues to build on the events of Captain Marvel, which thoroughly explored Skrull's story.
The Skrulls are a group of shapeshifters that can take on the appearance of any person, making it difficult for Fury and his team to identify them. However, it's important to note that not all Skrulls are enemies; some are simply searching for a new home. I'm interested in how the show explores these angles through the series. The MCU vets bring their usual acting style to the characters. However, I did want to make mention of the new characters. Oliva Colman, an Oscar winner, is a charming and captivating performer who has the potential to become one of the most unique new additions to the MCU.
In the role of G'iah, Talos' daughter, Emilia Clarke portrays a character with compassion and resentment. G'iah holds a grudge against Fury for breaking his promise to create a new home for the Skrulls after the events of Captain Marvel, as well as her father for not sharing her level of anger.
Kingsley Ben-Adir's portrayal of Gravik in the Skrull group is truly remarkable. He can keep up with Samuel L. Jackson's performance and adds more layers to his acting abilities. Gravik's character is portrayed as an unwavering and accomplished antagonist who tolerates no ambiguity.
After viewing the first two episodes of Secret Invasion, I can see some viewers taking issue with political sentiments as they did with the ones in The Falcon and The Winter Solider. After a few surprising moments in the first two episodes, keeping an open mind about Secret Invasion is important since we don't know where the story will go.
Similar to Wandavision, Secret Invasion gets off to a slow start. Fortuitously, it establishes great enigmas and character progressions to sustain audience engagement.
Final Grade: B+
The first episode of Secret Invasion will be available to stream on Disney+ starting on Wednesday, June 21st. After that, new episodes will be released concurrently for the next five weeks