Review: Secret Invasion Premiere Episode – Trusting Nobody

Disney is tackling more stories within the Marvel Cinematic Universe in various Disney Plus series, including another follow-up to Avengers: End Game. Secret Invasion is every bit a sequel to the events of Avengers End Game than another entry into Phase 5 of the MCU, for better or worse. The show had its premiere on Disney Plus and promises to deliver a great story over the course of six episodes. And if the momentum of its first episode is any indication, the series is going to make some bold moves with its characters. But like the undertone that the series continuously reminds you, you shouldn’t trust everything you see at first glance.

The story of Secret Invasion is set up to be a spy thriller in the same way that Captain America: Winter Soldier told its own story. There’s a strong sense of paranoia that appears to be building up with the first episode that may be strung along the rest of the series. The show is gritty in the same way that Winter Soldier was willing to push toward the edge, with brutal action and harsh violence. Interactions between characters are more subdued compared to other MCU projects, but everything has more gravitas. Some of the dialogue isn’t always delivered in the best way but still has intriguing elements and layers that reveal big things.

The plot of the first episode sees Nick Fury being called back down to Earth following rumblings of a growing threat that involves the Skrulls. While Fury continues to work together with Skrulls like Talos, who we’ve seen before with his wife in previous MCU films, a collection of Skrulls appears to have gone rogue. With reports of a coordinated effort to attack major cities and cause havoc on Earth for humans, everything seems to point toward an invasion of Earth by the group of Skrulls who seem to have turned their backs on humans. It’s up to Nick Fury to uncover the conspiracy and stop Earth from being overtaken, but nearly every person and thing Fury has known may be compromised in this secret invasion of the world he protects.

Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role as Nick Fury and has a heavier weight on his shoulders that feels like more than what it appears at first. The biggest point the first episode tries to make is how the events of the Snap from Thanos in the Avengers movies affected Nick Fury greatly. It gets a little weird at some points where some of the dialogue about it is repeated, but it’s done in ways that appear to be a conscious choice that might be relevant in later episodes.

There are also hints of other things related to both Talos (played by Ben Mendelsohn) and Fury that might be the bigger personal reason for Nick Fury to return to Earth. He was in space for a long time, so there may be more than just the growing threat to bring him back down to the planet. If the things set up in this episode are followed through in the ones to follow in Secret Invasion, we might end up seeing things about Nick Fury that weren’t explored in previous Avengers movies.

Other characters in the episode have a few scenes to shine, but it’s still very early on for all of them to have any significant moments. Emilia Clarke plays G’iah, the daughter of Talos, who has grown up in the time following the Thanos Snap and joined a renegade group of skrulls working for their leader Gravik. Although G’iah has a hard-edge personality, we can see how much she is compromised after learning some devastating news that puts her at odds with her given mission. When she gets some time to interact with her father, things get very interesting and possibly set up what could be a major point of conflict for the rest of the series.

Cobie Smulders returns again as SHIELD agent Maria Hill, who appears to have gone underground with Nick Fury as they survey their current situation. A brief scene at the White House with Iron Man 2’s James Rhodes (played by Don Cheadle again) explains how Fury and Maria have cut off contact with their superiors. While the early portions of the episode don’t do much with Maria, the very end of it does some crazy things with the character that end on a shocking note.

For many, this will be a bold choice, but as the show tells you, don’t always trust anybody or anything. As big of a deal as the ending of the episode might be, things could quickly change up or be something entirely unexpected. But that doesn’t take away from how intriguing and bold things are with the ending. It will definitely get you to come back for the next episode and possibly the rest of the series’ six-episode run.

As a first step into this story, the premiere episode of Secret Invasion does exactly what it needs to do. The setup for the story and introduction to the big problem Nick Fury and crew will face is something different and interesting. Not all fans of the MCU will find this story to be as exciting as other Disney Plus shows, especially when the tone of the show is very different. Secret Invasion isn’t as over-the-top as Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but it definitely has a plot that is as interesting as Loki or Wanda Vision to get you to want to see more.

Are you going to watch Secret Invasion as it goes up on Disney Plus? What is your favorite Disney Plus MCU series thus far? Tell us your thoughts about Secret Invasion in the comment section below!