The invasion has begun and we won’t see where or who it is coming from.
Marvel’s Secret Invasion has burst out of the gates with an action-packed first episode streaming now on Disney Plus. You would be well within your rights to have a little fatigue from all the recent super hero-esk features we have had of late but unlike others, Secret Invasion gives us a taste of the very real danger that could be hiding in plain sight.
Secret Invasion re-introduces us to the Skrulls from Captain Marvel. A race of shape-shifting aliens that Nick Fury promised would do all in his power to find them a new planet to call their own. Fast forward a few decades and the Skrull are still looking for a new home with a small subset of locals sick of waiting have decided to break away and form their own society bent on taking Earth as their new planet. Of course, in these plans, there is no room for the human race so we must be eradicated.
Returning to the lead role, Samuel L. Jackson once again don’s the coat as powerful super-spy Nick Fury. Fury has been off planet working on new defense system Saber before a desperate plea from Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) to return planet side after rumblings of this new threat were uncovered. Ben Mendelsohn returns once again as Skrull leader Talos (I still love the Aussie accent on an alien, not to mention the correct use of “mate”) who continues to be a friend and ally to Fury.
Fury is somewhat a shadow of himself since the “Blip” and his disappearance after “End Game” was touched upon in the open moments. It helps highlight the reasons for the uprising of the Skrulls who felt abandoned. Led by the charismatic Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) the faction is building a way to use their ability to blend in and cause upset on a global scale starting in Russia. Helped by Talos’ daughter Gíah they are building a very real and very violent threat.
Secret Invasion returns to some of the more practical movie-making premises that have been lost in recent Marvel entries. Special effects don’t play a huge part in episode one giving it a darker grittier spy thriller feel. Jackson as always is brilliant in his portrayal of the determined edgy Fury and watching his interactions with Olivia Colman’s MI6 agent Sonya Falsworth reminds you what can be accomplished when great actors bounce seamlessly off each other.
There are the beginnings of a good story here and plenty of questions to be asked of where we are headed and who will be involved along the way. I for one hope Rhodey gets more involved while he is no Iron Man, I miss the suit.
Secret Invasion exposes us to a new thread of storytelling in the MCU and one with an actual consequence, something that has been sorely missed in recent entries. With only six entries in the series, I believe it is going to be just enough to wrap up a well-thought-out adventure that will hopefully light a fire into future storytelling options for the MCU.
Episode one is available now on Disney Plus with new episodes releasing each Wednesday.
