Secret Invasion is a thrilling cover-up story from Marvel Comics featuring a shocking infiltration of Earth by shape-shifting Skrull aliens. In this gripping story, the Skrulls have secretly replaced several prominent people, including superheroes, politicians, and even close allies. With their incredible shape-shifting abilities, the Skrulls manipulate events behind the scenes, creating paranoia and mistrust among Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. As the truth unravels, longstanding alliances crumble, and the lines between friend and foe blur, the world is plunged into an unprecedented crisis. Now, humanity must grapple with the terrifying realization that its very existence is threatened, leading to a high-stakes battle to expose and defeat the hidden invaders.
Introduction :
Secret Invasion is a Disney+ miniseries based on the Marvel Comics story. Produced by Marvel Studios, it is the ninth television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which shares continuity with the films of the franchise. The show follows Nick Fury and Talos, played by Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn, as they uncover a conspiracy to shapeshift into Skrulls to conquer Earth.
The series is created by Kyle Bradstreet, who also serves as a head writer, and is directed by Ali Selim. Along with Jackson and Mendelsohn, the cast includes Kingsley Ben-Adir, Killian Scott, Samuel Adewunmi, Dermot Mulroney, Richard Dormer, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, Don Cheadle, Charlayne Woodard, Christopher McDonald, and Katie Finneran.
Development began in September 2020 with Bradstreet and Jackson on board. The title and premise were revealed in December 2020, with additional casting taking place in March and April 2021. Selim was hired to direct in May 2021. Filming began in London in September 2021 and wrapped in late April 2021. 2022, with additional filming in England.
Secret Invasion premiered on June 21, 2023 and consists of six episodes. It marks the beginning of Phase Five of the MCU, promising another exciting addition to the expanding Marvel universe.
Secret Invasion Cast :
The information provided is a summary of the cast and their characters in the television series Secret Invasion, based on the Marvel Comics storyline of the same name. Here is a brief conversion of the information:
- Samuel L. Jackson portrays Nick Fury, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., who has been working with the Skrulls in space and returns to Earth after a long absence. The series explores Fury’s past, his weariness, and the toll his job has taken on his personal life.
- Ben Mendelsohn plays Talos, the former leader of the Skrulls and an ally of Fury.
- Kingsley Ben-Adir portrays Gravik, the leader of a group of rebel Skrulls who break away from Talos and plan to infiltrate Earth for resources. Gravik harbors hatred for most Skrulls working with him.
- Killian Scott appears as Pagon, Gravik’s second-in-command.
- Samuel Adewunmi portrays Beto, a rebel Skrull recruit.
- Dermot Mulroney plays Ritson, the president of the United States.
- Richard Dormer portrays Prescod, a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who uncovers the Skrulls’ invasion plan.
- Emilia Clarke portrays G’iah, Talos’s daughter, described as having a hardened and punk-like demeanor.
- Olivia Colman plays Sonya Falsworth, a high-ranking MI6 agent and an old ally of Fury’s. She aims to protect the United Kingdom’s national security interests during the invasion.
- Don Cheadle reprises his role as James “Rhodey” Rhodes, operating the War Machine armor. In the series, he serves as the president’s “right-hand man” and a political figure.
- Charlayne Woodard portrays Priscilla Fury, Nick Fury’s wife, who is revealed to be a Skrull known as Varra.
- Christopher McDonald appears as Chris Stearns, a Skrull posing as an FXN news host and member of the Skrull council.
- Katie Finneran plays Rosa Dalton, a Skrull scientist involved in DNA research for the Harvest project.
- Cobie Smulders and Martin Freeman reprise their roles as Maria Hill and Everett K. Ross, respectively. The first episode reveals that Ross has been replaced by a Skrull infiltrator.
- Other cast members include Ben Peel as Skrull Brogan, Seeta Indrani as Shirley Sagar, Christopher Goh as Jack Hyuk-Bin, Giampiero Judica as NATO Secretary General Caspani, Anna Madeley as UK Prime Minister Pamela Lawton, Juliet Stevenson as Maria Hill’s mother Elizabeth, and Charlotte Baker and Kate Braithwaite as Soren, the wife of Talos and mother of G’iah.
- Carmen Ejogo has been cast in an undisclosed role.
This information provides a summary of the cast and their characters in the Secret Invasion series.
Plot :
In Moscow, Talos pursues Everett K. Ross, who is believed to have killed CIA agent Prescod. Prescod had a theory that a group of shapeshifting Skrull rebels, frustrated with Talos and Nick Fury’s failure to find them a new home, plan to incite a war between Russia and the United States to take over Earth. Maria Hill arrives to help Ross, but discovers that he is actually a Skrull impostor. She contacts Fury, who has been working in space since the Blip, and informs him of the situation.
Fury returns to Earth and learns that Talos has been exiled by the Skrull Council and replaced by his former ally Gravik, the leader of the rebels. Fury is kidnapped by MI6 agents working for Sonya Falsworth, an old acquaintance who refuses to cooperate with him in arresting Gravik. Fury manages to spy on Falsworth using a bug and tracks down the rebels, who have acquired dirty bombs. Among them is Talos’s daughter, G’iah, who was unaware that the rebels had killed her mother, Soren. G’iah reveals the rebels’ plan to attack Vossoyedineniye Square on Unity Day.
Fury, Hill, and Talos attempt to intercept the bombs but are unsuccessful as Gravik detonates them. In the ensuing chaos, Gravik disguises himself as Fury and kills Hill. It is revealed that Fury had recruited several Skrull refugees, including a young Gravik, in 1997, in exchange for helping them find a new home. Currently, Talos informs Fury that one million Skrulls live on Earth. Fury, enraged by the events, decides to continue his mission alone and meets Hill’s mother.
The United States is implicated in the bombing and Gravik gains the majority support of the Skrull Council to lead the Skrulls into a new war. Maverick councilor Shirley Sugar contacts Talos to arrange a meeting between him and Gravik. In London, Fury explains the situation to Colonel James Rhodes, but Rhodes blames him for the bombing and Hill’s death, leading to Fury’s dismissal. Falsworth interrogates a captured rebel named Brogan, who reveals that Gravik is building a machine to enhance the Skrulls with the help of a scientific couple, the Daltons. G’iah discovers that the rebels are conducting experiments on foreign DNA before accompanying Gravik to kill Brogan.
Fury returns home to find a Skrull disguised as his wife, Priscilla.
Production :
The information provided discusses the development, writing, casting, design, filming and post-production details of the television series “Secret Invasion,” centered on the Marvel Comics character Nick Fury, which is being produced for the streaming service Disney+. Here’s a brief summary:
Development: In September 2020, Kyle Bradstreet was announced as the developer for the Nick Fury-centric series. The show was officially titled “Secret Invasion” in December 2020, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn to co-star. The series is based on the 2008-09 comic book story of the same name.
Writing: The series is described as a “crossover event series” exploring elements of political paranoia inspired by the “Secret Invasion” comic book series. The show draws inspiration from spy novels, TV series, and movies.
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role as Nick Fury, and Ben Mendelsohn plays Talos. Other cast members include Kingsley Ben-Adir, Olivia Colman, Emilia Clarke, Killian Scott, Christopher McDonald, Carmen Ejogo, Cobie Smulders, Don Cheadle, and others.
Design: The production designer is Frank Walsh and Claire Anderson serves as costume designer. Notably, Nick Fury does not wear his trademark eyepatch in the series.
Title Sequence: The opening title sequence was created using generative artificial intelligence, which received criticism during the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.
Filming: Filming began in September 2021 in London and other locations in Europe. Reshoots were done in mid-2022 to improve the series.
Post Production: Series editors are Pete Beaudreau, Melissa Lawson Cheung, Drew Kilcoin, and James Stanger. Several visual effects studios worked on the show.
Music: The series’ composer is Kris Bowers, and the title track, “Nick Fury (Main Title Theme)”, was released as a single.
Overall, Secret Invasion is a highly anticipated Marvel series that explores the intrigue and political aspects surrounding the Skrulls, a shape-shifting alien race, and their infiltration of Earth.
The upcoming series, which premiered its first footage on Disney+ Day in November 2021 and showed more at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022, is said to have a “general vibe of paranoia and foreboding.” Variety’s Adam B. Vary believes the series will align with the “anti-heroic thread” of Phase Five in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Polygon described the first trailer, unveiled at D23 Expo 2022, primarily as a plot summary, while Vanity Fair’s Anthony Breznican noted Nick Fury’s appearance with both eyes and his self-sufficiency. Collider’s Tamera Jones felt the trailer leaned towards a spy vibe rather than a fun paranoid mystery, with action-packed sequences and explosions.
The second trailer, which premiered during Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN in April 2023, was praised by Collider’s Edidiong Mboho for evoking the same emotion and urgency as the first trailer, showcasing the all-star cast without giving away too much of the plot. Inverse’s Dais Johnston found the shots in the trailer to present a flashy but gritty spy story, emphasizing Nick Fury’s wit and strategy. Club’s AV Sam Barsanti noted that the trailer portrays the physical and psychological toll life has taken on Fury.
In early June 2023, a viral marketing website for the series was launched, featuring a five-minute clip of the first episode and a new trailer. The website was initially revealed through cryptic images on the series’ official Twitter account, with clues forming the password to access it.
