MCU"s Secret Invasion: Cast, Release Date, & Everything We Know

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Summary

The Secret Invasion show received mixed reviews, with criticism directed towards the lack of development for Nick Fury and the smaller number of Skrull reveals compared to the comic series.
Secret Invasion was confirmed in 2020 by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and premiered on Disney+ in June 2023 as part of Phase 5.
The show features a star-studded cast, including Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Emilia Clarke as Talos' daughter G'iah, and Don Cheadle, setting up his first MCU solo film, Armor Wars. Marvel Studios took liberties with the comic storyline to adapt it for the show's narrative.

The MCU Secret Invasion show released to mixed results, raising many questions for the Marvel audience. As part of the MCU's Phase 5, the Disney+ show continues the storyline of Nick Fury and the Skrull Talos, who previously appeared together in both Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Fury and Talos find themselves unsure of whom to trust as the shapeshifting Skrulls begin infiltrating powerful positions around the world.
Marvel Comics published the Secret Invasion comic in 2008. The eight-issue crossover series centers on the Skrulls' invasion of Earth and how they take the identities of various superheroes. The backstory involves Captain Marvel's Kree and the Skrulls, a race of shapeshifting aliens who often impersonate Marvel characters, and a war between them that results in a near-catastrophe on Earth. MCU adapts this story in part, but with Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury leading the story, following through on teases carefully slipped into the MCU timeline.

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Your browser does not support the video tag. Secret Invasion: Latest News

Secret Invasion's release saw it garner some lackluster reviews, which generally focused around the lack of development Fury got throughout a series that was advertised as his first solo series, and the small number of pre-existing MCU figures who were revealed to be Skrull imposters, as the comic series had far more major reveals on this side. The Secret Invasion ending saw especial flack, as Nick Fury was notably absent for the final battle, despite having emotional stakes with Gravik, closing the series on a hollow note for many viewers. However, this ending appears to tie directly into The Marvels, which may mean the movie changes how the finale is viewed.
Secret Invasion Was Confirmed In 2020

Secret Invasion was initially confirmed in December 2020 by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige (via TV Line). He made the first major announcement of it along with several other MCU projects, including Ironheart and Armor Wars, during Disney's Investor Day special.
Secret Invasion: Release Date

Secret Invasion premiered on Disney+ on June 21, 2023 as part of the MCU's Phase 5, and ran weekly episodes until July 26. Originally reported to be releasing in 2022, Secret Invasion didn't begin filming until the fall of 2021, and wrapped in April the following year. While other Phase 5 projects saw huge delays, Secret Invasion's new mid-2023 release date didn't leave too much of a wait for patient Marvel Studios audiences, as the series premiered relatively close to the theatrical release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Secret Invasion: Cast

Samuel L. Jackson stars in Secret Invasion as Nick Fury, the former Director of SHIELD who first came into contact with the Skrulls during the 1990s-set Captain Marvel. Mendelsohn returns as Skrull leader Talos, previously seen going undercover as Fury's boss in Captain Marvel and impersonating Fury himself during Spider-Man: Far From Home. Cobie Smulders also returned as Maria Hill, Nick Fury's closest confidant since her debut in 2012's The Avengers.
British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir premiered in the show as Gravik, the main antagonist of the series and Skrull resistance leader. Academy Award winner Olivia Colman was also introduced to the MCU portraying Sonya Falsworth in Secret Invasion, a British MI6 agent who looks set to have a vital future in Marvel's universe. Additionally, Martin Freeman reprises the role of Everett Ross from Captain America: Civil War and the Black Panther films, and Dermot Mulroney portrays Ritson, the current President of the United States.
Don Cheadle is another familiar face from the MCU who makes appearance in Secret Invasion, setting up his first MCU solo film, Armor Wars. Emilia Clarke's pivotal role in Secret Invasion is that of G'iah, Talos' daughter. Charlayne Woodard, Killian Scott, Christopher McDonald, Carmen Ejogo, Samuel Adewunmi, and Katie Finneran were all also cast in Secret Invasion.

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Emilia Clarke Is Playing Talos' Daughter, G'iah

After Emilia Clarke's casting in Secret Invasion, there was initial speculation that she could be portraying SWORD agent and notable mutant Abigail Brand. However, this theory was debunked as Clarke was confirmed to be portraying G'iah in Secret Invasion, Talos' daughter who was previously glimpsed in Captain Marvel when Talos was reunited with his family aboard Mar-Vell's laboratory. During the upcoming series, G'iah is initially shown siding with Gravik and the Skrull resistance rather than her own father, after years of broken promises from Nick Fury have hardened the young Skrull and forced her to grow up in the midst of constant warfare.
Secret Invasion: Story Details

Since the events of Captain Marvel, Nick Fury has had Skrull operatives working for him in disguise across the Earth, living somewhat peacefully among humanity with the promise that Fury will help them find a new home. Secret Invasion sees many of these operatives fight back after Fury's plan to relocate them fails for too long. This culminates in Gravik attempting to wipe out humanity by trying to generate a nuclear apocalypse, as Skrulls are immune to radiation damage.
Captain Marvel tweaked Marvel Comics' Skrulls by presenting Talos and the others as a peaceful race fleeing from the Kree Empire, but Secret Invasion sees the groups more divided. This places Fury in a tricky predicament as he attempts to conceal the presence of the Skrulls to the general public, while also ensuring that those attempting to incite nuclear war are still stopped.
Secret Invasion's MCU Connections

Don Cheadle has said that Secret Invasion will help set up Armor Wars, which makes sense given Rhodey's personal story in the series, and the implications it has for his future in the franchise. Secret Invasion's focus on Nick Fury also serves to set up the Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels, since the show's ending ties into the start of the movie.

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How The Secret Invasion Show Adapts The Comics

Marvel Studios veers quite drastically away from adapting a comic-accurate Secret Invasion storyline for the MCU. In the comics, The Illuminati play a key role in the Secret Invasion event, but the organization doesn't officially exist on Earth-616 yet (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced a version from a different universe), so the narrative did need to be tweaked for the MCU's Secret Invasion. The comics' rogue Skrulls invade Earth because of knowledge they gained from capturing Illuminati members, which also isn't the case in the Disney+ Secret Invasion, with these alterations in lieu of a slower spy series playing a role in the negative reviews for the series.
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