In Marvel’s Secret Invasion, Nick Fury returns to Earth after years of exploring the galaxy because there is an imminent threat against humanity and he is partly responsible for it. All episodes are streaming on Disney+.
Story
Nick Fury returns to Earth after Agent Maya Hill and Talos inform him of a serious threat by a group of rebel Skrulls headed by a young Skrull named Gravik.
Talos’s daughter G’iah is also a member of the rebels, who have infiltrated influential positions around the world to carry out their plan. Gravik wants to cause chaos within the humans then strike when they’re fighting against each other and take Earth for themselves.
Fury must overcome serious losses and get up to speed with the scale of the problem he is facing as people keep reminding him that he hasn’t been the same ever since the Blip.
With some help, Fury learns about Gravik’s end goal and works toward stopping it altogether and saving humanity yet again.
Performances
Samuel L. Jackson puts in one of his best shifts as Nicholas Fury ever since he first donned the eyepatch of the integral character. After everything that he’s been through, Fury has to be affected, and Jackson depicts that fantastically.
Kingsley Ben-Adir has portrayed a great villain in the MCU through sheer grit, even if his antagonist’s motivations don’t make him stand out as much. Ben-Adir showcases menace and poise in the role but does face an underwhelming end.
Emilia Clarke once again underwhelms but in her defense, she wasn’t given too much to work with. Her character isn’t well crafted and she does her best to give it some substance.
Olivia Colman is hugely entertaining as Sonya Falsworth. She is constantly put across as an antagonistic presence and Colman revels in playing the chaotic neutral character.
Don Cheadle is also enjoyable as this version of Rhodey raises significant questions about the character’s actions in the MCU over the last few years.
Positives
This series is a nice change of pace from the usual MCU fare and the focus on Nick Fury as a central character definitely helps. Veering away from the comic arc and creating an original narrative is another good decision.
The Skrull reveals are done masterfully, disclosing the true scope of their infiltration in stages to truly display how strong they have become. This was always the basis of the arc but it has been laid out well by the director for this series.
6 episodes are the ideal spot as it doesn’t risk overstaying its welcome and the story progression happens at a comfortable pace for audiences to enjoy.
Negatives
Interest in the MCU is variable at this point and this series might definitely suffer from the general fatigue that audiences are experiencing from the sheer number of projects released each year.
Despite the financial might and reputation of Marvel and Disney, they still seem to occasionally put out special effects that look pedestrian and the final battle between G’iah and Gravik is pretty unimpressive.
Verdict
Secret Invasion adequately furthers the narrative of the MCU while adding a few more layers to its past and present with an intriguing story. As a stand-alone series, it benefits from some engaging characters and a nice change of pace from what is doled out on a regular basis.
Secret Invasion
Director: Ali Selim
Date Created: 2023-06-21 12:30
3
Also Read: Secret Invasion season finale recap, review, and ending explained
