Secret Invasion (2023): The pinnacle of Marvel’s plummet

*Spoilers Ahead* 

Another summer has come and gone, and with it, so has the overall quality of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Though this statement may seem hyperbolic to a degree, it is the melancholy reality of what has happened to this former cinematic powerhouse. Come along with me as I tell you something I guarantee you’ve overheard someone ranting about while walking the halls (that person being me): The MCU is a shadow of its former self, and this latest installment illuminates the extent this former great has fallen. 

Marvel’s Secret Invasion (2023) was created by Kyle Bradstreet for the streaming service Disney+, and stars Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos. Without spoiling the plot’s entirety, together, these two unlikely friends, human and “Skrull,” an alien shapeshifting race, come to weed out an unknown, silent corruption that has planted itself in every corner of the world. 

This is a miniseries based on one of the most critically acclaimed comics ever released by Marvel Comics, focusing on Nick Fury’s path to uncover the deception occurring right under his nose. It’s an action-pact, devotion-filled comic that keeps fans on the edge of their seats from issue to issue. This grandiose event was forever immortalized as a very anticipated event, with a strong desire to be adapted to live-action, especially by die-hard fans. 

However, we ended up with something utterly polarizing to its source material. Rather than an action-packed, dramatic spectacle, we were presented with a mundane drama and high stakes that are never fully realized, leading to an underwhelming viewing experience that has, for many Marvel fans, acted as the nail in the coffin for a franchise already on its deathbed. 

What began as an attractive, fast-paced take on the comic quickly showed holes in its structure. Issues in pacing and writing were prevalent from the story’s start only worsened throughout the runtime. The story, though establishing the world-threatening stakes of the matter, never truly allows you to see what this means: there’s an alien species that is impersonating high-ranking officials within the government and media, pushing along their agendas while working to polarize the masses, resulting in World War III, an event that will create the perfect living conditions for the Skrull race to live on Earth—all orchestrated by Kingsley Ben-Adir’s character, Gravik. 

Now, I know that was a mouthful… but it will only get worse from here!

At every turn, the plot reminded watchers of these world-ending stakes, opting to bluntly state this rather than implicitly show us how or who is a “Skrull.” What was set up in the comics as a continuous guessing game, a gamble of gut feelings on who is an imposter and who is not is non-existent within this story. 

Rather than this back and forth, these imposters reveal themself at every turn to Nick Fury to taunt him, a move that can only be described as utterly insane; imagine having to spend your life working to undermine an entire planet, and one of your underlings just decides to explain to the man you’re working against precisely who you are and what you’re doing. Years of deception were thrown out the window for nothing but an interesting camera shot.

Outside of this glaring issue, the over-conception and execution of this story were half-baked and barely realized. It is a shame that such a highly-anticipated and worthwhile comic spectacle was treated so poorly, leaving the majority of die-hard Marvel fans with an unbearably gross taste in their mouth, turning many off to the franchise as a whole. It is because of this that I am sadly going to have to give this show a 4/10. It was underwhelming, rushed, and reflects the current state of the MCU. 

Like many, however, I am holding out hope for the future of this franchise, at least for the time being, seeing Loki (2021) return as this company’s last leg to stand on. This show will be released on Oct. 6, 2023, and will air weekly, so stay tuned for what will inevitably be another deranged rant about Marvel!