Despite how it ended, Secret Invasion started strong when it arrived on Disney+ earlier this year. However, as the series progressed, it became clear that what initially appeared to be a game-changing alien invasion story was a drawn-out follow-up to one of Captain Marvel's least interesting subplots.
Samuel L. Jackson was magnificent as Nick Fury, but in the second half of the season, the flimsy Skrull invasion of Earth largely underwhelmed and ended with a thud thanks to a CG-heavy Super-Skrull vs. Super-Skull final battle.
As for Fury, he returned to space as the credits rolled and we'd expected The Marvels to at least deal with some of the fallout. After all, Carol Danvers let the shape-shifters down every bit as much as the former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director did!
Unfortunately, the sequel fails to acknowledge Secret Invasion in any sort of meaningful way. Fury is back in space but you'd be forgiven for not knowing he ever returned to Earth. He's also had something of a personality transplant as he's very happy (and funny) now.
There is a new Skrull Emperor who repeatedly references the fact his people are refugees and have no home, but we've known that since 2019. Talos' demise doesn't warrant a mention and neither does the fact Earth nearly fell to the aliens.
After Dar-Benn attacks their newest home (we're left to assume that's what became of them after Secret Invasion ended), the Skrulls are later sent to New Asgard alongside Valkyrie, suggesting they'll make a home on Earth...even though the United States President has declared them an enemy who must be vanquished.
Overall, there's a real lack of connectivity which points to bigger problems with the current MCU.
We've already seen a disconnect between the Marvel Studios movies and TV shows and, if we had to hazard a guess, filmmaker Nia DaCosta knew nothing about Secret Invasion until long after cameras on the Captain Marvel sequel had finished rolling.
There must be a way to find the right balance (moviegoers should not have to head into theaters with an encyclopedic knowledge of countless hours of Marvel's small screen content) but the strange thing is, the movie does a great job of finding that with Ms. Marvel and Photon's respective leaps to the big screen. Even if you've never seen their shows, flashbacks and solid introductory scenes fill in all the necessary gaps. However, for those who have watched them, their respective stories continue satisfyingly.
We didn't necessarily head into The Marvels expecting to see Fury's wife or G'iah, but to not even allude to Secret Invasion in passing...well, it makes an already easy-to-skip series feel utterly meaningless.
So, long story short, if you're unsure whether you need to watch Secret Invasion before seeing The Marvels, you most definitely do not!