“Secret Invasion” was one of Marvel’s most eagerly anticipated series. With its captivating premise, especially as it approached its finale, it generated excitement. However, I doubt that the outcome truly impressed the audience, as Marvel’s declining appeal might make it challenging for them to recapture their audience’s attention. While “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.” might achieve well-deserved success at the box office, the audience seems to have grown weary of the 20-year-long marathon. Apart from the chaos brought by Kang and the variations of multi-verses, there seems to be no Marvel film capable of exciting the audience anymore. Although the curiosity about the universe might have waned, it is possible to acknowledge that “Secret Invasion” did something different. Unfortunately, this unique project will also suffer from fatigue.
Let’s briefly touch upon the plot… After encountering the Skrulls in the “Captain Marvel” movie, they settle on Earth under Nick Fury’s guidance. However, it appears that Fury failed to keep his promise of providing them with a new planet. As time passed, dissent arose among the Skrulls, eventually leading to a hidden rebellion. Not only that, but Thalos settled on Earth with an excessive number of Skrulls unbeknownst to Fury. This situation creates serious national security concerns about distinguishing the real from the fake, especially when some of them harbor intentions to destroy the world they inhabit.
Almost all of Disney’s series has a theme of humor, childhood, and entertainment. This energetic approach has seemingly distanced the audience from the universe. In contrast, “Secret Invasion” lacks all these bright elements, presenting an entirely dark and mysterious series. From the very first episode, the threat posed by the Skrulls and the confusion about who is genuine and who is fake is skillfully portrayed. The series manages to maintain its tension from beginning to end. Personally, I found this approach intriguing and captivating.
However, as I mentioned about other Disney series, “Secret Invasion” also suffers from the issue of rushing through its plot due to its short duration. With each episode being only 35 minutes long, it feels too brief, especially for a story involving an organization infiltrating the highest echelons of the government. Extending the episodes to 50 minutes and allowing the tension to build further could have made the series much more successful. However, with only 6 episodes at 35 minutes each, it feels quite short, and despite its thematic strengths, it ultimately damages the overall storytelling. Although Disney has moved away from the bright and entertaining narrative, it seems they haven’t abandoned their preference for short episode durations.
Watching the Solo Nick Fury project was undoubtedly enjoyable. Despite his aging and weakened state, we can still witness how dangerous he can be. However, the most significant problem with these side or solo projects lies in Nick Fury’s choices. The prolongation of the story results from Nick Fury’s reluctance to involve superheroes in the matter, despite all the issues that could quickly be resolved. This creates irony in a universe with over 20 super-powered heroes. The fact that Nick Fury, as a human, attempts to solve problems but inadvertently allows unnecessary human casualties is, in my opinion, the greatest irony created by the storytellers. The Skrull uprising could have been easily resolved if Captain Marvel or Wakanda had been involved in the story. Instead, the narrative leads to the brink of a third world war and the disregard of numerous lives.
In essence… “Secret Invasion” is not a colorful and comedic series like other Disney shows; instead, it is a series of gray areas and abundant mystery. While it holds a significantly profound underlying narrative, the show becomes a victim of a significant disadvantage due to its short episode durations, which undermines the establishment of the necessary mysterious agency story. One of the show’s main advantages lies in its marvelous cast, including Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, and Ben Mendelsohn. However, Kingsley Ben-Adir stands out alongside Samuel L. Jackson due to the nature of his role. The show excels in acting, action, and visuals without any flaws. I must say I quite enjoyed the final fight. The primary issue of the series lies in its short episode duration and the erroneous resolution of the recurring question in all Marvel films: “Where are these superheroes when all this is happening?”
Cast & Crew
creator: Kyle Bradstreet
starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, Don Cheadle, Ben Mendelsohn
USA | 2023 | 6 EPISODES |