In a series promising its share of twists, Secret Invasion looks set to unveil a turn centered around Nick Fury as the Marvel Cinematic Universe miniseries takes shape.
Speaking in the latest issue of SFX Magazine, Secret Invasion director Ali Selim hinted at a twist in the tale MCU enthusiasts should expect from Fury in the show as he faces the threat of radicalized Skrulls trying to take over Earth. Selim has said fans can trust Fury, though they should look out for this unspecified twist at some point. "The audience can always trust Nick Fury, even though there’s a twist in the show. And you can always trust his friend Talos," he said.
Much of Secret Invasion focuses on the character shift in Fury, played by series star and executive producer Samuel L. Jackson. The Disney+ series chronicles Fury's struggle with the deaths of multiple Avengers, as well as confronting his age and contemplating his place in the world. Additionally, the show takes a deeper look at Fury's personal life, showing him more vulnerable and pensive than ever before. "Sam Jackson would say we knew the working part of Nick Fury, but we never knew anything about his personal life," he said. "We never knew what his demons were. We never knew what his home life secrets were. He was never vulnerable or broken in any way."
Fury teams up with long-time ally Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) to help take down the radicalized Skrulls, fronted by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), who leads the group of shapeshifting aliens to Earth after feeling Fury went back on his word after promising them a new home. Fury also interacts with Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), James "Rhodey" Rhodes/War Machine, and G'iah (Emilia Clarke) along the way as he tries to stop the invasion while handling his personal battles. Jackson previously spoke about Fury showing his age in Secret Invasion and dealing with the toll his job takes on him. Furthermore, Jackson and other cast members have stressed how anyone can be a Skrull in Secret Invasion, emphasizing its focus on trust, or a lack thereof.
Does Marvel's Secret Invasion Live Up to Its Namesake?
Secret Invasion is based on the eponymous crossover storyline chronicled across a series of comics and tie-in books in 2008. While Selim admitted he was warned off reading the comics when developing Secret Invasion, the helmer insisted the series would build off the chemistry between Fury and Talos while expanding the MCU and furthering the arc of characters who didn't appear in the comics. Selim directed all six episodes of the series, which was created by Kyle Bradstreet.
Early reviews of Secret Invasion have been mixed so far, with its critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes being the lowest of any Disney+ MCU miniseries to date at 64%. The series has been criticized from various angles, from its use of AI in its credits to its pacing. Meanwhile, Jackson's performance has been called out for lacking energy. However, considering the version of Fury in Secret Invasion is more somber than usual, his toned-down delivery is more understandable.
Episode 2 of Secret Invasion premieres on Jun. 28 via Disney+.
Source: SFX Magazine via The Direct