Since the launch of Disney+, Marvel has given fans the zany, heartfelt wonder of WandaVision, a meh global political thriller about how much we miss Chris Evans as Captain America, a zippy multiverse show about our dear beloved Loki (Tom Hiddleston), a holiday caper centered on Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), an enchanting showcase for the adorable Iman Vellani, an uneven but beloved sitcom about She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), and a show I like to call, “Oi, I’m Moon Knight.” Now it’s time for the grown-ups to have their live-action MCU show. Put the kiddies to bed because it’s time for Secret Invasion.
Much like last year’s critically acclaimed Star Wars show Andor, Secret Invasion seeks to reframe our understanding of a massive family-friendly franchise by looking at how the whims of the mighty have destroyed the lives of the weak. Andor was an extraordinarily refreshing piece of art draped in the iconography of Star Wars. The scripts were profound, the direction sublime, and the acting top-tier. Secret Invasion has a fascinating concept and some truly incredible performances for an MCU joint, but its writing and direction both fall a little flat. It’s the kind of serious show that Marvel fans were thirsting for five years ago, but now might cause some viewers to nod off. The first two episodes of Secret Invasion are fine, basically.
Secret Invasion opens with the reveal that the Skrulls, a shape-shifting alien race that came to our world as refugees in the 1990s-set Captain Marvel, have splintered under Nick Fury’s (Samuel L. Jackson) watch. We learn that Fury and Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) promised to find the Skrulls a permanent home in exchange for their loyalty. When the S.H.I.E.L.D. super-spy disappeared during “the Blip,” he was essentially abandoning the Skrulls. Former Skrull leader Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) might remain loyal to Fury, but he’s in the minority. The Skrulls are now rallying around the charismatic Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), who believes the solution is to take Earth from the dishonest humans.
What Secret Invasion does well is hammer home how much the current situation is Fury’s fault. He made a big promise to a powerful alien race in their moment of crisis and he broke it. Neither he nor Captain Marvel found the Skrulls a permanent home. Instead, they diverted their focus to other pet causes, including the Avengers. (A rare moment of levity comes with Fury admits forming the superhero team was his mid-life crisis purchase.) Where Secret Invasion fumbles is in pacing, over-emphasizing how Fury is off his game with repetitive scenes. A fun drinking game would be to take a shot anytime someone tells Fury he hasn’t been the same since the Blip. You would soon be too hammered to catch any of Secret Invasion‘s many Marvel Easter eggs.
It’s not all bad, though. Oscar-winner Olivia Colman is a devilish delight as British spy director Sonya Falsworth. Every time she’s on screen, Secret Invasion gets a much-needed spark of mischief as Colman seems honestly excited to be naughty in a Marvel show. Game of Thrones alum Emilia Clarke plays G’iah, Talos’s radicalized daughter who has placed her faith in Gravik. Clarke is able to convey her character’s torn loyalties with many a devastating glare. Overall the cast is great, including the yet under-utilized Martin Freeman, Dermot Mulroney, Katie Finneran, and Cobie Smulders.
Secret Invasion‘s first two episodes introduce an intriguing concept. Nick Fury really did create a galactic crisis through his own inattention. Can he fix it before it’s too late? The irony is that the bar has been raised so high in terms of what genre fans should expect from streaming shows that Secret Invasion itself feels a little late. The scripts are flabby, the visuals uninspired. Five years ago, Secret Invasion would have been top-tier genre entertainment. Now it feels, like Fury, a few important steps behind the competition.
Secret Invasion premieres Wednesday, June 21 on Disney+.