In 2008, Marvel Comics released a crossover event called Secret Invasion. The conflict involves a race of aliens called Skrulls who can shape-shift into anyone they see down to their DNA. This allowed them to impersonate and infiltrate Marvel’s heroes and wreak havoc upon Earth.
Like many popular stories from comics, Secret Invasion is making its way to the MCU as a Disney+ show. Unlike many works from Marvel Studios, this show approaches the original source material in the most vague way possible. In addition, Secret Invasion lacks the necessary build-up needed to be relevant to the MCU.
There is a Lack of Essential Characters
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The series lacks set up to get fans invested in the Skrulls as possible antagonists, and will also be lacking essential characters that drove the plot forward. Iron Man and Jessica Drew both play a large role in the conflict within the Secret Invasion comic event. Jessica Drew turns out to be impersonated by the Skrull queen, Veranke, and tries to convince Tony Stark that he is the Skrull prince in disguise. This jarring scene will be one of many that won't be depicted in the show, as Jessica Drew hasn't made a live-action appearance yet and Iron Man died in the finale of 2019's Avengers: Endgame.
The Skrulls were able to impersonate many heroes throughout the series, but unfortunately, fans won't get to see that portrayed in the current show. Without core comic characters, the series is forced to take a different approach than the original source material by creating new characters and giving minor characters much larger roles. The current cast of the MCU adaptation is small and lacks other important characters such as Spider-Man, Hawkeye, and the Fantastic Four. Additionally, fans won't get to see epic battles in the streets of New York or in the bowels of outer space between beloved heroes and the Skrull Empire.
The Skrulls Have No Major Context in the MCU
The first introduction fans received to the Skrull Empire was in the 2019 film, Captain Marvel. The Skrulls posed as antagonists at first, and then became allies with both Carol Danvers and Nick Fury. The aliens later make another appearance during the end credits scene in Spider-Man: Far From Home, impersonating Fury and Maria Hill for an unspecified amount of time. Aside from those two appearances, the Skrulls haven’t been mentioned nor elaborated on in any way that impacts the MCU as a whole.
This poses a potential problem for the show before it even debuts. The impact of the Skrull’s invasion falls short without the characters who drove the original story. The aliens are able to recall memories and even have access to the abilities of powerful superheroes, which shook both characters and fans at the start of the event. This revelation loses its shock value if the Skrulls have only been seen impersonating everyday citizens or minor characters. The set-up should've happened years prior to the start of the series, not now, as it feels rushed and comes out of nowhere. With the footage shown of the series, Secret Invasion depicts a spy thriller plot and not the wide-scale phenomenon it should've been. If the show doesn’t follow the same storyline from the comics, it begs to question if Secret Invasion can be considered an adaptation at all.