“Secret Invasion” (2023) is the ninth Marvel Cinematic Universe television series to air on Disney+. It consisted of six episodes that are under one hour so it could be watched in one sitting. After Thanos’ snap, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) has stayed on S.A.B.E.R., the Strategic Aerospace Biophysics and Exolinguistic Response, but after hearing about Skrulls planning to eliminate the human race and claim Earth as their new world, he returns to save humanity, but does he still have what it takes to save Earthlings one more time or did he lose something essential when he had a brush with his mortality? Just call him old. Fury is getting Agent Coulson’s hand me downs.
After watching the “Thor” franchise, it is hard to see what all the fuss is about when aliens lose their home world and need to settle down except human beings are prejudiced, and the Skrulls have different physical features. Their plight could be a metaphor for many things: racism, fear of terrorism, etc. The real fear is that Skrulls can impersonate and replace people without anyone knowing, and the doppelganger threat and the need to annihilate a redundant person has old mythological roots imprinted into our DNA from changelings to faeries. The series also has a spy craft meets “Star Trek” feel with Fury as Kirk and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) as Spock with Fury saying some horrifying and demeaning things to his alleged friend, and Talos being furious (ha) but still loyal because they have been together so long. Their way of navigating intergalactic personal relationships is very old school, integration, assimilation, neo liberalism promise.
In contrast, the villain, Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), is sick of waiting for the Promised Land, feels used and ripped off. This character could have worked because he is basically a child soldier who grew up and is rightfully pissed. He is a product of the bellicose programming of Skrulls and the only alien-accepting human beings. It is interesting how violent villains are often associated with wanting to go natural and have a place to unmask as if they are inextricably connected and homogeneity is the solution. If anyone could not eat their favorite food and had to wear a bra twenty-four hours a day, they would be grumpy too. Gravik has a plan to give Skrulls the advantage, which seems unnecessary considering that they are already physically stronger, can disguise themselves and can withstand (checks notes) radiation and live anywhere. Dude, just wait until our ozone is gone. The planet will be all yours, but remember, Gravik is sick of waiting, so he decides to trick countries into declaring World War III then pull a trick out of The Entity’s hat, namely start a nuclear war. With Skrulls embedded in every seat of power worldwide disguised as famous, powerful human beings, it should not be so hard. It should be a done deal, but no. It felt like the writers put their thumb on the scale to make him extra unappealing. Gravik is a bit boring though Ben-Adir does a passable job saying the same thing as if it is a new thought.
G’iah (Emilia Clarke) functions as a middle ground. She thinks her father is delusional for doing the same thing and expecting a different result, i.e. finally get the home world if they keep on kissing human ass without getting the payment up front. On the other hand, she clearly disapproves of her childhood friend’s scorched earth tactics. Everyone should love Clarke for her iconic performance as Khalessi in “Game of Thrones,” but she has never achieved that level of excellence since. It feels like she is literally and figuratively being groomed to be Talos, the next generation. I hate to sound like an online dude bro, but everyone in the line of succession does not have to be a girl, a woman, or younger. Mendelsohn is such a good actor, and without him, the Skrulls are kind of one note. Around the human beings, he is pretty low key, but when he is around his people, it is obvious how he became general and will just start helping people’s souls vacate their bodies. It makes sense that a person so into respectability politics has a shorter fuse with anyone that he is not trying to impress out of a subconscious belief that they should be more grateful and see their contribution. The generational divide works, and without him, there is no credible conflict. G’iah does not have a plan other than “not that.” As Khalessi, Clarke could fill in the blanks, but whether in Clarke’s body or another actor’s, G’iah is an underwritten character.
“Secret Invasion” is at its strongest when it shows and does not tell about the lengths that underrepresented groups go to get power so they can save the world then accidentally end up perpetuating the evil that they seek to prevent because it is inherent in power and position. When Fury and Rhodey (Don Cheadle) talk about it, it gets heavy-handed and boring because while Cheadle is an engaging actor, Rhodey is the most unappealing character in the series, which makes it impossible to believe that US President Ritson (Dermot Mulroney) would trust Rhodey over Fury, which is a pivotal plot point in the series. In contrast, M16 agent Sonya Falsworth (the delightful Olivia Colman) is perfect because she stands out in comparison to other spies as an individual, but in spirit, she is still a company culture fit. To make it, it helps to share the mindset of people who think that you do not deserve the position because of your difference so while superficially changing the institution, nothing substantively changes. They may not look like it, but they belong. They are the opposite of Skrulls-physically standing out and comfortable in their skin. Colman fits into this world well, and I’d love to see her reappear in the future.
Initially “Secret Invasion” looked great—cinematic quality, international jet setting like Bond films. The time shifts in the narrative grounded the series and made the Skrulls’ impatience seem reasonable. As Gravik’s secret weapon plays a more prominent role, the conflict gets boring. The fights turn into a mish mash of Avengers greatest hits so a Skrull will suddenly fight like Groot, but eventually it is easy to lose track of which hero that Skrull is impersonating as the special effects overtake the fight choreography. It feels silly and unreal. When they fight each other, and one wins because they vogued better, I have no idea why nor do I care enough to rewind. I cannot get invested in a character if they are not distinctly recognizable as themselves even when they are wearing another person’s skin.
I also think that it did not help that I watched “Secret Invasion” out of order, long after the release date; thus after “The Marvels” (2023). I already know that none of this handwringing is germane to the overarching plot. It should be, but it is not. Maria Hill (Colbie Smulders) makes a brief cameo as does Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman). I care about the prior, but not a whit about the latter. I’m angrier that the MCU trotted out the tired storyline of law enforcement mistaking the protagonist as an enemy. I never want a writer to use this plot device again.
There is one new character that I got invested in: Varra/Priscilla Davis (Charlayne Woodard). She was not necessarily written well, but Woodard is such an endearing actor that she could play the sketchiest person, and Woodard will make her seem trustworthy. She was the only consistently three-dimensional person. Otherwise, it was hard to continue watching “Secret Invasion” because almost no one went on a transformative journey over the course of the series. They ended up where they started.
