Heading into Secret Invasion, you might think that you don’t have a particularly long list of reasons to be excited about Marvel Studios’ latest Disney+ series. Sure, more of Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury is never a bad thing, but it’s been clear from the start that this version of the story isn’t the action-packed epic that Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu delivered on the page back in 2008. In that, pretty much every hero on Earth assembled to battle a seemingly endless legion of Super-Skrulls and this…well, this is a thriller in the same vein as Captain America: The Winter Soldier. And guess what? It’s all the better for it. With surprises every bit as big as the comics and a tone that makes this feel like Nick Fury’s Logan, not only does Secret Invasion exceed expectations, it will rock your world.
The first two episodes deliver some startling revelations and shocking moments which immediately cement this as a story every bit as vital to the wider MCU as the Multiversal shenanigans playing out elsewhere in this Saga. Earth is facing an invasion larger in scale than we could possibly imagine and humanity’s extinction may well be looming. The Skrulls were promised a home and are now looking to take one, with only Fury (and a couple of friends) standing in their way. The motivations of these alien shape-shifters are both well explained and easy to empathize with, no great shock when we live in a world where every country faces a refugee crisis of some sort.
Secret Invasion is incredibly timely and hard-hitting in that respect, and while their methods may make them the bad guys, the Skrulls are no mere two-dimensional baddies in this series. They may have green skin and the ability to look like anyone - which, as you might imagine, leads to some fun surprises - but what drives them is entirely human, making what happens here feel real in a way that a heightened world like the MCU often isn’t.
While the stakes are somewhat lessened given the episodic nature of the MCU and the fact we know Fury returns in The Marvels this November, the show delivers enough twists and turns to make it clear that what's playing out will have an impact on the stories to come. Crucially, however, rather than fretting too much about setting up whatever comes next, Secret Invasion is a showcase for Jackson and Fury alike.
No longer the man he was after The Blip, the former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director talks a big game, but is not the same force of nature who once told The Avengers what to do. He’s tired, broken, and seemingly done with Earth after Thanos’ attack, and the first two episodes only begin peeling back the layers of who he’s become and what brought him to this place. In what can only be described as Jackson’s best turn as Fury yet, the actor brings a new level of pathos and solemnity to this comic book role that should see him emerge as a rightful frontrunner in every "Best Actor" awards category months from now. His work is riveting, and Jackson reminds us all with this series why he’s more than just the catchphrases and eyepatch; he’s one of the greatest actors on this planet and proves it in a show that allows him to explore Fury like never before.
Ben Mendelsohn is also on top form as Talos, while Emilia Clarke and Olivia Colman each make a significant impact in a series where it would be all too easy to be overshadowed by Jackson. We’re only just starting to explore who their characters are this early into the series, but rest assured that they both have the potential to be among the best additions made to the MCU in quite some time. Kingsley Ben-Adir is an unexpectedly understated antagonist, but that only serves to make him more menacing. It would be good to see the actor show more of what he’s capable of as the series progresses, though no time is wasted in ensuring we take him as a credible threat. Helping matters is the fact this cast is given such incredible dialogue to play with, and whether it’s Fury recalling a childhood conversation with his mother or a heated back-and-forth between Fury and Don Cheadle’s Rhodey you’ll be unable to pull your eyes from, writers Kyle Bradstreet and Brian Tucker bring their A-game and deliver a sharply written thriller that never lets up.
Behind the camera, director Ali Selim gives Secret Invasion a feel which is entirely its own. Some filmmakers would have tried too hard to escape that MCU style by leaning into the fact this is a spy story at its core, but Selim merges both to create a series that feels oddly familiar yet wholly unique. With a great grip on action and some clever camera tricks that make the Skrulls feel as creepy as they are alien, the result is a show which is unlike anything Marvel Studios has done before. The only place it really stumbles is with the visual effects; the transformation process for the Skrulls didn’t look amazing in Captain Marvel and it’s still an odd design choice where, if you like it, it’s fine, but if not, it tends to be a distraction (and, with a slightly smaller budget than a $1 billion blockbuster, it doesn’t always look perfect).
Talking of that 2018 movie, it left many fans unsatisfied by making the Skrulls heroic and not really exploring them beyond a surface level. Since then, we’ve learned they’re still just knocking around, but it’s the simple fact they still don’t have their own home which is really this show’s driving force. Secret Invasion also finds ways to make up for a lack of answers in the past, whether it’s what the deal was with Spider-Man: Far From Home’s post-credits scene or what came next after Talos and company blasted off into space alongside Carol Danvers. It deserves a lot of credit for that and if what we’ve seen in these first two episodes is any indication, it’s only going to get better from here.
In the end, we’re left with a series that’s essentially The Winter Soldier meets Logan meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and if that doesn’t sell you on it, likely nothing will. What it’s lacking in flashy superhero battles, it makes up for with edge-of-your-seat action and the kind of jaw-dropping moments which will not only turn this world on its head, but may rock the foundations of everything you thought you knew about a franchise Jackson himself helped kick off way back in 2008.
Secret Invasion is the MCU espionage thriller we’ve been waiting for. Samuel L. Jackson’s magnum opus as Nick Fury, the show delivers one jaw-dropping moment after another and quickly establishes itself as essential viewing for any Marvel fan. [⭐⭐⭐⭐]