Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in 'Secret Invasion.'
Screengrab, 'Secret Invasion.'
‘Secret Invasion’ Gets Strong Reception: “Its Impact On the MCU Is Big”
New Disney Plus series Secret Invasion received a strong reception following its two-episode premiere on Tuesday night.
The MCU’s finest stepped out for the world premiere of new Disney Plus series Secret Invasion on Tuesday night, June 13. At the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, the series stars Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Kingsley Ben-Adir (Gravik), Don Cheadle (James "Rhodey" Rhodes), Emilia Clarke (G'iah), commanded the red carpet before attendees were treated to a two-episode premiere.
\u201cSamuel L. Jackson is here to give everyone a crash course on who #NickFury is. #SecretInvasion\u201d— Marvel Studios (@Marvel Studios) 1686715133
\u201cKingsley Ben-Adir makes his MCU debut as #Gravik. Be prepared! #SecretInvasion\u201d— Marvel Studios (@Marvel Studios) 1686711365
\u201cDon Cheadle, aka Col. #JamesRhodes aka #Rhodey makes a major entrance on the red carpet. #SecretInvasion\u201d— Marvel Studios (@Marvel Studios) 1686709245
\u201cWho do you trust? #SecretInvasion\u201d— Marvel Studios (@Marvel Studios) 1686715458
\u201cThe invasion is here.\n\nThe #SecretInvasion Launch Event is kicking off in Hollywood! Follow along for more action and be careful who you trust\u2026\u201d— Marvel Studios (@Marvel Studios) 1686702963
\u201cThe invasion is about to begin. Get ready to experience #SecretInvasion. Streaming June 21 on @DisneyPlus .\u201d— Marvel Studios (@Marvel Studios) 1686715824
Before the second season of Loki and the upcoming series Echo are released to Disney Plus later this year, Secret Invasion follows Fury, who “learns of a clandestine invasion of Earth by a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls” in the present-day MCU. “Fury joins his allies, including Everett Ross, Maria Hill, and the Skrull Talos, who has made a life for himself on Earth,” the official synopsis continues.
The El Capitan Theatre was sold on the action-packed first two Secret Invasion episodes, as some audience members even wore Skrull masks. Brandon Davis of ComicBook.com called Secret Invasion “Marvel’s most mature title for a Disney+ show yet.”
\u201c#SecretInvasion is definitely Marvel's most mature title for Disney+ yet. The language and writing knows the audience has grown up and flashes of violence keep it feeling realistic while emphasizing the stakes. The Skrull invasion feels grounded and tense. I'm digging it.\u201d— BD (@BD) 1686715239
Bernard “Beanz” Smalls of Cassius Life said that Jackson “is at his best as Nick Fury.” Jackson, 74, received an Academy Honorary Award in 2022, which marks the actor’s lifetime achievement in film and humanitarian efforts.
\u201cJust finished watching the first two episodes of #SecretInvasion. Just wow, think Invasion of The Body Snatchers meets your favorite spy thriller. \n\nSamuel L. Jackson is at his best as Nick Fury. \n\nThis show is about to shake the MCU.\n\nI \ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udffe Need \ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udffe More \ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udffe\u201d— B E A N Z (@B E A N Z) 1686716812
Erik Swann of CinemaBlend praised Cheadle’s performance, saying that Rhodey “is evolving in some interesting ways.”
\u201cOne more thing I'll say about #SecretInvasion is that Don Cheadle is truly getting a chance to flex his muscles. It's clear from the jump that Rhodey is evolving in some interesting ways.\u201d— Erik Swann (@Erik Swann) 1686716400
In a recent interview with Total Film, Secret Invasion director Ali Selim teased two potential deaths on the show and also brought up the possibility of a second season.
“When it ends, I hope you feel satiated and complete. And as Marvel does so excellently, you also feel like ‘Oh, it could go in this direction,'” Selim said.
He added, “Nick Fury is alive and continues to battle, I don’t think that’s a spoiler alert. And there are some characters that are no longer with us and some characters that live to see another challenge.”
Secret Invasion premieres on June 21 with one episode. The series will continue with five additional episodes released subsequently each week. Check out more reactions below.
\u201c#SecretInvasion is an international spy thriller and one of Marvel's boldest, heaviest stories to date. Some will probably even call it the MCU's 'Andor.'\n\nThe ensemble cast is stellar, and Sam Jackson gets to do vintage Sam Jackson things.\n\nI'm intrigued and eager to see more.\u201d— Brian Davids (@Brian Davids) 1686715209
\u201c#SecretInvasion dives straight into the political thriller that fans have been hoping for. The marketing tagline "Who do you trust?" is apt for this series. The show is tense, building up the stakes with each episode. Even with its grounded tone, its impact on the MCU is big.\u201d— Ryan Cortero (@Ryan Cortero) 1686743852
\u201cWatched the first two episodes of #SecretInvasion last night and I was fairly impressed. It\u2019s a much more mature, grittier, and darker side to Marvel. There\u2019s ONE thing that\u2019s holding me back from fully being on board with it, however. We shall see.\u201d— Maggie Lovitt (@Maggie Lovitt) 1686743761
\u201cBesties, y\u2019all aren\u2019t ready for #SecretInvasion.\n\nThe show hits the ground running and just keeps building. It\u2019s very purposeful in its exploration of Marvel\u2019s past, present and possible future.\n\nSamuel L. Jackson is always a star, but Olivia Coleman is a comedic dark horse here.\u201d— Keshav Kant (@Keshav Kant) 1686715957
\u201cWhat surprised me the most about the first two episodes of #SecretInvasion is how well it deals with the themes of race, refugees, and revolution. The first two episodes immediately tackle some pretty heavy ideas, and it seems like a through line for the whole show.\u201d— Pre-Order Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze\ud83d\udc9c (@Pre-Order Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze\ud83d\udc9c) 1686743153
\u201c#SecretInvasion episodes 1-2 pave the way with Samuel L. Jackson's weary Nick Fury and a formidable new foe played by Kingsley Ben-Adir. The series is a nostalgic nod to Winter Soldier's spy thriller vibes. It\u2019s evolving into the one of the best series in the MCU so far.\u201d— Christian Eulinberg (@Christian Eulinberg) 1686743735
\u201c#SecretInvasion is easily the one of the best Disney+ MCU projects. Grounded with great action and clever writing, it reminds me a lot of the political thriller vibe that CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER had going on. \n\nOh, and Olivia Colman steals the show.\u201d— ron (@ron) 1686723766
\u201cBased on its first 2 eps, #SecretInvasion is a tense but compelling slow burn with elements of \u201cX-Files\u201d and \u201c24\u201d. For those looking for a much more serious, much more brutal @MarvelStudios, this one is for you. The signs of a maturing MCU. -Mike M. @SecretInvasion\u201d— The Nerds of Color (@The Nerds of Color) 1686717069
\u201cMarvel's #SecretInvasion is a mind-blowing conspiracy thriller that will have audiences questioning everything they know about the MCU\u201d— K.E.V.I.N. Fenix (@K.E.V.I.N. Fenix) 1686715201
