Secret Invasion Puts Marvel Fans Back In The Thrilling World Of Espionage

At the virtual press conference for Marvel’s upcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion, Kevin Feige made it abundantly clear that audiences will finally see the Marvel Cinematic Universe return to the spy genre. According to Feige, Executive Producer Jonathan Schwartz had a unique vision from the moment he pitched his idea.

“He came in [to my office] with this idea of translating the great Secret Invasion storyline from the comics in a darker, grittier spy show,” recalled Feige. “We love to do different genres for everything, and this was an attempt to really dive back into things we touched upon in The Winter Soldier, but hadn’t in a while.”

Almost every Marvel fan will tell you that Captain America: The Winter Solider is among their favourite movies from the sizeable franchise, so it’s safe to say that audiences will be pleased when watching Secret Invasion‘s 6-Episode run, beginning Wednesday, June 21. The series sees the return of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), who has returned to Earth after learning that an undercover faction of Skrulls intend to invade the planet and make it their long-awaited new home.

Ben Mendelsohn as Talos/Keller in Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.

Other familiar faces returning to the series include Maria Hill, played by Cobie Smulders, and Talos, played by Ben Mendelsohn. Feige says the fans will be “seeing a very different dynamic between Fury and Talos that we had seen in our sort of ’90s buddy action movie, Captain Marvel.” In addition, to help expand the MCU’s political landscape, Olivia Colman joins as Sonya Falsworth, the head of MI6 and an old ally of Nick Fury’s who is adamant he is not up for the fight ahead of him.

Secret Invasion also finds Don Cheadle’s James “Rhodey” Rhoades in a new position working alongside the President of the United States, as opposed to his previous role in the Air Force. During the panel, Cheadle discussed how Secret Invasion was “really a departure from what I have been in, as far as the genre goes. It’s really an opportunity to act, and really, you know, lean into some human stuff, which was also a lot of fun.”

Don Cheadle as James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes in Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.

With Winter Solider, the story takes place primarily in Washington, D.C. However, the events of Secret Invasion will have a more significant impact on the rest of the world, considering this is a global invasion. Feige confirmed this, stating that “the repercussions [of Secret Invasion] will be felt in coming projects.”

With its vast expansion in scope, there is no doubt Secret Invasion will genuinely be the globetrotting, gritty spy thriller Marvel fans have been patiently waiting for. Stay tuned at That Shelf for more upcoming coverage of Marvel’s latest series.