With all the hubbub surrounding Marvel‘s output and “superhero fatigue” in general, the studio seems to have taken a step back to evaluate the noise. As such, the rush to churn out more MCU projects has seen a slowing pace, with behind the scenes rumors and chatter indicating that some planned shows and movies will take on a different form, or perhaps be put on the backburner for a while.
Not many of us know the truth about these internal conversations, despite the things that certain leakers will tell you with bluster and confidence. But we do know that at one point Marvel was planning to release quite a few projects to Disney+ this year, and now there are only three official shows on the calendar, with one of them, Echo, arguably being dumped on the streamer in a more bingeable format this November.
But before Echo and Loki season 2 emerge later in 2023, we will be getting six episodes of Secret Invasion, which has been touted as a more adult series overseen by one of the main writers on USA’s complex conspiracy thriller show Mr. Robot. The themes of Invasion seem to line up well there, with this Marvel offering focusing on a conspiracy involving a group of shapeshifting Skrulls who are trying to infiltrate Earth in positions of power around the world, and the one man who might be able to get in their way: Nicholas Joseph Fury.
Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role as Fury in Secret Invasion following numerous and often brief MCU appearances, and the opportunity to spend more time with the former director of SHIELD has been a big part of the upcoming series’ appeal. We’ll also be getting more Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), more James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), more Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), and more Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) in this one, and some other big names have been added to the cast in Olivia Colman (The Favourite) and Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke.
Fans might remember that in 2019’s Captain Marvel, we were introduced to a group of Skrull refugees who were fleeing the Kree. Their leader, Talos, teamed up with Fury and Carol Danvers to thwart the Kree in exchange for his Skrulls getting a home of their own, and, well, it appears that didn’t go very well, as many of the Skrulls are pretty angry that Fury hasn’t delivered on his promise three decades later. That includes Talos’ now grown up daughter, G’iah (Clarke), who has developed a rebellious nature. At the heart of the Skrull plan to finally deal with this matter once and for all is Gravik, played by Kingsley Ben-Adir. He’s the leader of a group of rebel Skrulls who have broken away from Talos’ faction and set up shop in a decommissioned radioactive site in Russia.
Marvel and Disney have already allowed some people to get an early look at Secret Invasion, and they’ve been taking to social media to offer their insight on the show, which will start streaming on Disney+ on June 21. Below are a selection of their spoiler-free thoughts. As always, it’s a good idea to take them with a pinch of salt either way. You’ll make up your own mind!
#SecretInvasion is the real deal. Well directed, shot, choreographed, & written. Sets up the main conflict & villain early on Winter Soldier, Civil War vibes. In terms of quality, feels like Marvel’s Andor. But 6 eps, so it moves faster, & has some massive WTF moments throughout. pic.twitter.com/WFIo32rEnP
— Rayyan (@RayyanTCG) June 14, 2023
#SecretInvasion is a game changing limited series that uses the spy thriller genre to tap into something dark & complex. The first two eps set a refreshingly gritty and gloomy tone, which nice change of pace from the usual formula. It’s Marvel at their best. pic.twitter.com/cqd6wMZzF2
— Michael Lee (@IamMichaelJLee) June 14, 2023
The first two episodes of #SecretInvasion are… fine.
There were reports that Marvel wanted the show to be their “Andor”, and it’s really not. It’s more “Generic ABC Spy Show with Movie Stars.”
But it’s nice to see Samuel L. Jackson finally given centre-stage in one of these. pic.twitter.com/76rVoTN1gp
— Darren Mooney (@Darren_Mooney) June 14, 2023
#SecretInvasion is so far INCREDIBLE. From the cold open to the final shot of the first 2 episodes The stakes are high & are established in a way that made me SCREAM.
Count me as a massive fan & dying to see the rest of the season. X-Files Meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers pic.twitter.com/TPXcQyM5BR
— Zach Pope (@popetheking) June 14, 2023
#SecretInvasion is a slow burn espionage thriller type of show. It’s really good cuz it’s so unexpected. No one is safe & trust no one- that’s what I like. Very different. Overall, this is Fury’s story & its interesting exposition. Olivia Colman is – as always – a standout. pic.twitter.com/t8QbEEVLG4
— Laura ลอร’า 劳拉 🍥 (@lsirikul) June 14, 2023
#SecretInvasion: Marvel’s paranoid sci-fi thriller languishes in the shadow of ambiguity, sluggishly grounding geopolitical events in deception and displacement for the first two episodes. Hopefully, it will pick up moving forward with the game and players now established. pic.twitter.com/RPyqh2Sd3z
— Eric Marchen (@EM6211) June 14, 2023
Marvel’s #SecretInvasion brilliantly gives fans a glimpse at what Earth is like when its Mightiest Heroes aren’t around. A bit slow at first, it’s nothing short of top-tier MCU. Nick Fury & company are great, but the paranoia is GREATER. Imagine John Carpenter’s The Thing x 10. pic.twitter.com/FPYyo91HK4
— Dempsey Pillot is at the Tribeca Festival (@DempseyPillot) June 14, 2023
Marvel’s #SecretInvasion is all spy thriller vibes w/ moody intrigue, political conspiracies & some great Nick Fury dialogue. BIG things happen right off the bat! A wicked Olivia Colman is the breakout scene stealer early on (love her character) – solid first 2 episodes imo pic.twitter.com/kB2kYTGplo
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) June 14, 2023
#SecretInvasion shows us a side of Nick Fury that we haven’t seen before. Solid action scenes, a great set-up for the season within the first episode, and an in-depth look at what the Skrulls can do. Mendelsohn and Jackson have great chemistry that will carry the season. pic.twitter.com/691M5ZQ59i
— manda (@amxndareviews) June 14, 2023
#SecretInvasion aka OLD MAN FURY is a brutal and dark #MCU series that uses the spy thriller set up to explore the themes of survivalism and integration.
There are some SHOCKING moments of violence!
And great acting from back to front with a deliciously good #OliviaColman !! pic.twitter.com/JlJKzkKST4
— John Rocha aka The Outlaw Nation (@TheRochaSays) June 14, 2023
Chewing on the two episodes of #SecretInvasion that I watched last night. The first was kinda wobbly, the second was a bit better. It’s clearly a slow burn that may or may not build to gold, so I’ll be patient.
— cardinal copium (@emotionalpedant) June 14, 2023
SECRET INVASION first two episodes were an intriguing ingenious political spy thriller.
The themes were nuanced & timely.
Samuel L. Jackson & Ben Mendelsohn brought their A-game.
Complex, smart & thought-provoking.
Marvel’s best streaming show since TFATWS#SecretInvasion pic.twitter.com/gtJRkBG9Aq
— Rama’s Screen (@RamasScreen) June 14, 2023
#SecretInvasion is a real thrill ride, with some MAJOR twists and turns that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat!
It’s a tense, old-school, high-stakes, conspiracy spy story, so it’s very much a slow burn with a lot of moving parts, but if you’re into it, it’s pretty awesome pic.twitter.com/ElGED3y7zv
— Rohan Patel (@KingPatel7) June 14, 2023
SECRET INVASION: Ooof, two episodes in and this is likely the worst Marvel series so far, all the more of a trial as it forces way-beyond-this-material performers (Mendelsohn, Colman, Ben-Adir) to squirm as they wrestle with atrocious dialogue. Jackson looks especially pooped.
— Barry Hertz (@HertzBarry) June 14, 2023
#SecretInvasion is … something, to say the least. It pushes to dark territories from the start, with new additions holding their own and the characters we know and love more emotionally stunted than ever. If such character-driven narratives continue, it could be aces. pic.twitter.com/CMvw8eN6fZ
— Gissane Sophia (@GissaneSophia) June 14, 2023
The post The First Reactions to Marvel’s Secret Invasion Have Arrived appeared first on Den of Geek.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.