Secret Invasion proved to be one of Marvel Studios' less popular Disney+ shows, but however you happen to feel about the MCU's (very) loose adaptation of the comic series, it didn't hold back when it came to establishing stakes by killing off some fairly major characters.
If you haven't watched the show yet, spoilers follow.
Maria Hill, who has been a supporting player in the MCU since her debut in the first Avengers movie, met her maker in the closing moments of the series premiere, and Talos, the fan-favorite Skrull introduced in Captain Marvel, was taken out midway through the six-episode run.
So, how did Cobie Smulders and Ben Mendelsohn feel about being written-out of the MCU? Perfectly fine, as it happens!
Director Ali Selim revealed that both actors remained upbeat when it came time to film their respective heroes' final scenes during an interview with THR.
"There is no sad day with Cobie Smulders," he said of the How I Met Your Mother alum. "She is can-do. She shows up, does her work, loves it, and brings incredible spirit. She and Sam did have a bittersweet goodbye, but who knows where Maria Hill is gonna end up. I don't think she has any superpowers or serum that will keep her alive forever, but they could always make a movie that takes place before 2023, in which Maria Hill shows up."
As for Mendelsohn: "And Ben, I gotta say that it was a little bit of the same. He loves being in the MCU, he's grateful that he's in the MCU and if they want to kill him, he'll die. He also knows that anything can happen in the MCU, and they'll bring him back if they think of a way to bring him back."
Mendelsohn and Smulders may be okay with Hill and Talos buying the farm, but some viewers most definitely weren't, and there are a lot of long-time MCU fans that feel both heroes deserved better send-offs.
"In Marvel Studios’ new series Secret Invasion, set in the present day MCU, Nick Fury learns of a clandestine invasion of Earth by a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls. Fury joins his allies, including Everett Ross, Maria Hill and the Skrull Talos, who has made a life for himself on Earth. Together they race against time to thwart an imminent Skrull invasion and save humanity."
The series stars Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Cobie Smulders, Martin Freeman, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Charlayne Woodard, Killian Scott, Samuel Adewunmi, Dermot Mulroney, Christopher McDonald, Katie Finneran, with Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, and Don Cheadle.
Ali Selim directs and executive-produces, along with fellow executive producers Kevin Feige, Jonathan Schwartz, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Samuel L. Jackson, Ali Selim, Kyle Bradstreet and Brian Tucker. Kyle Bradstreet is also the head writer, and Jennifer L. Booth, Allana Williams and Brant Englestein serve as co-executive producers.
If you want to know my thoughts on Secret Invasion, and much more besides, you can have a listen to the first episode of the Roll Credits podcast below.