12-08-23 | The once mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe has lost a lot of its gloss these last couple of years. The Marvel formula is in need of a hit. And maybe good old Samuel L. Jackson is the person to deliver it. Secret Invasion is Nick Fury’s first solo adventure in the MCU. Surely he’s got what it takes to revitalize Marvel?
Well folks, it turns out that Secret Invasion is an utter disaster. Wiktor Reinfuss of Cosmic Circus felt that ‘Secret Invasion began as a great spy paranoia thriller that promised a very mature, ambiguous, and mysterious story. Unfortunately, recent episodes have made this one of the most disappointing MCU series.’ Matt Purslow of IGN observed that ‘there’s something off about the recipe. It very quickly becomes clear that Secret Invasion is not interested in hiding its Skrulls. And without the tension of constantly wondering who is the Skrull in the room, Secret Invasion robs itself of the paranoia that makes its espionage inspirations tick.’
Who are these Skrulls, you ask? They are a race of shapeshifters who attempt to gain control of planet Earth in the form of humans. A classic recipe for paranoid sci-fi, which goes back to the 1950s classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers. But Secret Invasion cannot repeat its success. As Andrew Fukui of Geek Vibes Nation put it: ‘The series could’ve been built on this idea that Fury can no longer trust those around him. However, the showrunners instead chose to go the traditional route of superpowers and fight sequences.’
Samuel L. Jackson was the big draw for this series and happily he doesn’t disappoint. ‘With Nick Fury in the spotlight – ’ continues Fukui ‘ – the series allows Samuel L Jackson to showcase a different side of Fury, placing his relationship with his wife front and center.’ Secret Invasion boasts one of the most impressive Marvel casts ever, including Emelia Clarke, Don Cheadle and Olivia Coleman. ‘She has a commanding presence in every scene she is in and proves to be a formidable on screen opponent to Samuel L. Jackson’ observed Mama’s Geeky critic Tessa Smith.
Paul Tassi of Forbes.com bluntly stated how most critics felt: ‘Secret Invasion is just not good. There’s no getting around it. It’s a spy drama where the spies are aliens and that’s supposed to be the main hook, but it doesn’t really work any differently than a spy drama where double agents are … humans.’ Reinfuss agreed. ‘It failed to live up to high expectations and squandered an intriguing premise.’
Read the full reviews here:
Wiktor Reinfuss at The Cosmic Circus
Matt Purslow at IGN
Andrew Fukui at Geek Vibes Nation
Tessa Smith at Mama’s Geeky
Paul Tassi at Forbes.com