This review was made possible by advanced screeners of Secret Invasion Episodes 1 and 2. Secret Invasion begins streaming on June 21 on Disney+.
Marvel’s latest series, Secret Invasion, showcases Nick Fury as he returns to Earth to combat a Skrull takeover. Several Skrulls who were once human allies have turned into enemies after the promise of a new home planet was undelivered after nearly 30 years.
Trust Issues Lie Rampant in ‘Secret Invasion’
From the jump, Secret Invasion is different in tone from any other Marvel Disney+ series we’ve seen thus far. It’s dark, unnerving, and surprising in all the best ways. Within the first ten minutes, you’ll be wondering who you can trust…or can you trust anyone at all? Although the cast is stellar, the obvious standouts are Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Olivia Colman, Emilia Clarke, and Kingsley Ben-Adir. They steal every scene they are in and command your attention. It’s so nice to see Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in a larger capacity, and you’ll be wishing we had seen this much of him years ago. Luckily, after Secret Invasion, we’ll be seeing him again in The Marvels.
The series promised a paranoia spy-thriller and that’s exactly what they deliver. The story is interesting enough to capture the audience’s attention and while there’s no mystery of what’s going on, the mystery lies in who’s lying. I couldn’t help but notice the striking similarity in the plot to The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. A displaced group who were promised refuge is now angry and attacking those who were supposed to help, a leader slowly growing out of control, seeking power and strength. While I was a fan of that series, I think that Secret Invasion may manage to do it better, considering that it’s much more personal.
Close To Home
Secret Invasion is grounded, and even though the entire planet is being threatened by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) and his rebel group of Skrulls, the story is personal. From Talos’ (Ben Mendelsohn) daughter G’iah (Emilia Clarke), to friends of Nick Fury, this story stays close to our characters. So close that you’re sure to be shocked at what we learn. Episodes 1 and 2 both end with a ‘WTF’ moment that made my jaw drop.
The most important thing that I think we’re going to get out of this series is learning more about Nick Fury as a person. We’ve always seen him as the man in charge, but now we get to see who the man behind the eyepatch is. We were first introduced to him in 2008’s Iron Man, and yet for the first time, we’re seeing him on a truly human level. People are going to be surprised at what we learn about him, I know I was.
Final Thoughts – ‘Secret Invasion’
The premise is interesting, although not very unique. The series feels more character-driven than plot-driven, which I think Secret Invasion benefits from. The first two episodes are slow, and while a lot happens in those two episodes, I don’t feel as if we’ve really gotten into the meat of the series yet. I’m excited to see more,e but I am worried that it will ultimately suffer from Marvel’s six-episode structure.
I don’t have a lot of complaints about the CGI of the Skrulls, as that’s where most of it is, transforming between Skrull and human form. It doesn’t look incredible, but it’s not terrible either. I’d say it’s about what we’ve come to expect from a Disney+ series. The music by composer Kris Bowers adds to the tenseness of the series, which I did enjoy a lot. The opening credit sequence and theme really stood out to me; it’s very different from what we’ve seen in other Marvel series.
The cast is killing it in every scene. They all bring an aura of belief to their characters, and yet I still don’t quite trust them. They make you want to question every move and motive. There were some story choices that I’m not thrilled about, which both come in those ‘WTF’ moments mentioned earlier. I don’t want to spoil, but I don’t think fans are going to be happy about at least one of those decisions. Overall, the series is fascinating and enjoyable, despite being a far cry from the original comic story. It’s worth watching and has the potential to be one of the better Marvel series by the end of it.
Secret Invasion premieres on Disney+ on June 21. Check out a trailer below:
