‘Secret Invasion’ Episodes 1 & 2 Review: “A More Personal Affair”

Ernesto Valenzuela Posted On June 14, 2023

The first Marvel Disney+ series of 2023 is here in the form of Secret Invasion. Based on the Marvel Comics crossover event of the same name, Disney has been marketing this series as a change of pace compared to other recent MCU series on the streaming platform. Compared to Moon Knight or She-Hulk, Secret Invasion has its ears to the ground in a show with a more self-serious tone and approach to its subject matter. However, that doesn’t necessarily make it better than those other titles. In fact, I would say Secret Invasion is middling of the road, about on par with the projects the MCU has released recently that aren’t called Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Secret Invasion plays out practically like a direct sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel in that Nick Fury and his relationship with the Skrulls are the main focus of the first two episodes. More likely than not, the rest of the series will continue to explore this relationship, with the first two episodes introducing some exciting new details about Nick Fury’s history with the shapeshifters. With Samuel L. Jackson’s character at the center of all the action, it is evident that the show would play more into the tones of what made Captain America: The Winter Solider so great in 2014.

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Fury’s back on Earth after the tonally jarring Spider-Man: Far From Home post-credits scene, with his mission involving unraveling a mysterious conspiracy involving Skrulls. The series had the difficult task of dealing with the complex history of the Skrulls in only a couple of MCU movies, turning them from sympathetic antagonists in Captain Marvel to full-on villains in Secret Invasion. Thankfully, the series handles this aspect with unexpected nuance.

Part of the appeal of the original comic book run of Secret Invasion was the idea of your favorite superheroes being replaced by aliens. Heroes as big as the Avengers not being able to trust each other and facing an enemy they didn’t understand or were even aware of was extremely exciting. As soon as it became clear that the live-action production of the series would steer away from the bigger scale, the quality of the show, its themes, and its storytelling would eventually come into question.

What Secret Invasion decides to do with its first two episodes is double down on making the idea of a Skrull takeover in the MCU a more personal affair for Fury. Jackson’s character has always had more of a supporting background role, pulling the strings to get the Avengers where they need to be. This time around, Fury gets his hands dirty, and it is intriguing when the writing doesn’t drag the character down.

While the idea of a disillusioned and world-weary Fury dealing with this Invasion himself is fascinating, having the supporting cast constantly telling Fury what his character arc in this series is instead of showing it in meaningful ways is exhausting. However, the supporting cast is still extremely impressive, more so than most other Disney+ MCU projects. Ben Mendelsohn makes his much-needed return to the MCU, being one of the most endearing aspects of Captain Marvel and carrying that charm over to this series. His performance as Talos never gets old, and the angle the series takes in providing a different perspective on the titular invasion is fascinating.

Other major players, such as Cobie Smulders, Olivia Colman, and Emilia Clarke, also bring their A-game to their performances. Colman, in particular, seems to be having fun in the MCU playground, bringing some twisted levity to her high-ranking and surprisingly efficient character. Clarke gets more time to shine in the second episode than the first, and her relationship with Fury and Talos will undoubtedly become more interesting as the rest of the series plays out.

Despite some impressive performances and the fascinating new personal take on the large-scale story, Secret Invasion still staggers along with its first two episodes. The show feels weighed down by the narrative history of the MCU, forcing itself into flashback scenes that connect to films to tell its story better. This is especially evident with Gravik, the series’ main villain, portrayed by Kingsley Ben-Adir. Ben-Adir gives a fantastic performance, and while the social issues and motivations that brought about his appearance are timely and impactful, it all feels too forcefully connected to the greater MCU.

Moreover, Gravik plays out like a more fleshed-out version of Flag-Smasher from The Falcon and the Winter Solider. Still, though, Secret Invasion does its best with what it’s got. The espionage and thriller angle of the series all feel watered down, but fans of Marvel will surely enjoy this tonal departure from the last few MCU projects from the past year. The production design of Secret Invasion also feels a little too clean, making the gritty aesthetic of its world and characters contrast the camera work and story it’s trying to tell. Overall, you could do worse with a spy show (I’m looking at you, Citadel). The next few weeks will tell if Secret Invasion has a leg to stand on in making itself a thrilling show that truly separates itself from the rest of the MCU. – Ernesto Valenzuela