[This review contains minor spoilers]
Marvel Cinematic Universe has had tough luck when it comes to series. While Loki had the whole MCU fandom cheering and hooting, other titles such as Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk explored unchartered territories but a section of fans craved for a little more edge. With Secret Invasions, Marvel returns to a few tried and tested elements and faces but pushes the boundaries slowly and steadily.
Premiering its first episode of Disney+ Hotstar on June 21, Secret Invasion is a mixed bag of some Marvel veterans and new introductions. Headlined by Samuel L Jackson, who reprises his iconic role as Nick Fury, the series brings back Ben Mendelsohn plays Talos (first seen in 2019’s Ms. Marvel), Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill, Martin Freeman as Everett K Ross, Don Cheadle as James “Rhodey” Rhodes / War Machine. The series introduces new characters such as Kingsley Ben-Adir as the rebellious Skrull leader Gravik, Game of Thrones’ queen Emilia Clarke as G’iah, and Olivia Colman as Sonya Falsworth.
The series kicks off with Nick Fury learning about the threat Skrulls have on Earth and his return from exile following the events of the Avengers: Endgame. While Fury has been one of the strongest agents in the MCU, the series brings back Fury but this time, he is trauma hit, grappling with the events after his return from the blip and shambles. His core is shaken, he’s buried under self-doubt and he’s detached from Earth.
Upon returning, he reunites with Agent Hill and Talos only to learn that Skrulls have a massive plan to take over the Earth. As he unfolds one twist after the other, he learns that the tables are turned on him and he has to fight this battle — both inner and in the world — by himself.
Without delving into the details of the plot, I can tell you that Secret Invasion feels like you are walking into a familiar MCU territory but the playboard has changed. While it feels like we are back in phase 2 and phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the stakes have changed and are much higher for Fury. The change in dynamics along with a delicious layer of geopolitical conflict between the MCU’s version of America and Germany catches your attention immediately. You can see that Marvel is trying to dip their feet in hot water but one toe at a time. Although the trait is commendable, Secret Invasion takes its own sweet time to do it, killing the hype the series can generate from the word go. The hot-and-cold pace overshadows the story strongly, impacting the true MCU experience.
Nevertheless, Sam L Jackson holds it all together. The actor is finally thrown out of his chair in the spaceship and forced to venture out into questionable land and he does it like a walk in the park. Secret Invasion allows Jackson to explore a different side to Marvel and while he appears beaten up, he seems like he is ready to take on the challenge. Although it is difficult to tell how successful he is in carrying the series on his shoulder until the end, a scene in the second episode shows that he is ready to shed his old Fury ways and slip into the new mantle presented to him.
The first two episodes did hint that he could use some help from the supporting cast. Unfortunately for him though, the only supporting cast that comes close to his level of performance is Olivia Colman. Although there are only a couple of scenes in the first two episodes featuring Olivia, the Crown actress has proven that if there is someone who can steal Jackson’s spotlight in the series, it would be her. The tension between them is undeniable and I am eager to see more of them in the same scene.
Emilia Clarke is another high point of the series so far. Her conflict with her virtues and her family gives her a lot of meat to chew on and so far, she seems to be taking it slow but doing well. Like most titles in the MCU phase 4, Secret Invasion also falls short of establishing a strong villain. While Kingsley Ben-Adir as the rebellious Skrull leader Gravik is nice to the eyes, he doesn’t feel like a menacing enough opponent. I am keeping the door open to see what he has up his sleeves going forward but so far.
The second episode ended on a cliffhanger and assured that there’d not only be questions but also thrills in the coming episodes.
Secret Invasion premieres on Disney+ Hotstar on June 21, 2023.
Comments
0 comment