Marvel’s Secret Invasion, the upcoming Disney+ series about the shapeshifting Skrulls, is finally on its way! Marvel and Disney+ have dropped a new poster and trailer.
Here’s everything we know about the series so far. Stay tuned for updates!
The Secret Invasion trailer
The new trailer has dropped!
In this new trailer, we see Nick Fury returning to Earth after his sojourn with the Skrulls in space. He learns that “things have gotten much worse,” and we see the Skrull extremist Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) detonate a bomb in front of what looks like St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. Fury is reunited with Talos, the leader of the Skrull resistance we met in Captain Marvel—and Fury learns that a) he’s now the most wanted man on Earth, and b) he’s presumed dead. The Avengers are still AWOL, so Fury decides he has to fight “one last fight” alone.
We also see more of Emilia Clarke’s character G’iah, daughter of Talos, and Olivia Colman playing an “old friend” of Fury. Also featuring are Martin Freeman as Everett Ross, last seen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Don Cheadle as Rhodey, a.k.a. War Machine; and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill.
Here’s the first trailer for Secret Invasion, which premiered at Disney’s D23 Expo last September:
This trailer’s biggest reveal was the return of Nick Fury, sans eyepatch, along with Maria Hill. It also captures the fast-paced, paranoia-filled tone of the series.
What’s the plot of Secret Invasion?
Secret Invasion is based on a story arc from the comics, written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by Leinil Francis Yu. In the original Secret Invasion, a race of shapeshifting aliens called the Skrulls launch a—you guessed it!—secret invasion of Earth, in which they gradually replace some of Marvel’s biggest superheroes with Skrull agents so that they can take over the planet. One of the biggest draws of Secret Invasion was finding out which characters had secretly been Skrulls for years, throwing everything readers knew about the Marvel universe into question.
In the MCU’s Captain Marvel, Nick Fury promised the Skrull resistance leader Talos that he would help them find a safe planet, so that they could stop running from the Kree Empire. According to Vanity Fair, the plot of Secret Invasion centers on a group of Skrull radicals that has grown tired of waiting and seeks to take matters into their own hands:
A group of Skrull extremists has arisen—and they’re tired of asking and tired of waiting. The clandestine takeover in Secret Invasion is their solution, and Gravik is the resistance leader who has radicalized them. He breaks from the Talos-led faction to seize the resources they need—first quietly, while in disguise, then by force, if needed. The story line mirrors countless true stories from actual history when displaced groups have first fractured, then lashed out after patience and diplomacy are exhausted.
Who’s in the cast of Secret Invasion?
This is one star-studded series. Samuel L. Jackson is reprising the role of S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury, whom we last saw on a Skrull ship in space at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home. Cobie Smulders is also returning to the MCU as agent Maria Hill, and Martin Freeman will return as Everett Ross, last seen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Don Cheadle will also star as Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes, a.k.a. War Machine.
Ben Mendehlson plays Talos, the leader of a group of Skrull refugees whom Captain Marvel saved from the Kree Empire in Captain Marvel. Last time we saw Talos, he was impersonating Fury on Earth.
Emilia Clark (Game of Thrones, Solo) will be playing Talos’ daughter G’iah (last seen as a little girl in Captain Marvel). Olivia Colman (The Favourite, The Crown) stars as an MI6 agent, while Kingsley Ben-Adir (Peaky Blinders) plays Gravik. Christopher MacDonald (Happy Gilmore), and Killian Scott (Ripper Street) will also appear in as-yet unannounced roles.
Secret Invasion release date: when does Secret Invasion come out?
Recently, Marvel has been shifting the release dates of many of its upcoming projects. The Marvels has been pushed from July 2023 to November 10, 2023. Secret Invasion and Loki, the two Marvel Disney+ series slated to release in 2023, both had their release windows changed from spring and summer, respectively, to “coming soon.”
In late March, Disney+’s website was briefly updated with a release date, but the release date was removed less than 24 hours later. Thanks to the new poster, though, we now know that Secret Invasion is premiering on Disney+ on June 21, 2023.
There are a few possible reasons for the delays. Kevin Feige and Disney head Bob Iger both announced that they were slowing down Disney content to focus on quality over quantity. These announcements both came right around the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which suffered from one of Marvel’s most dismal critical receptions ever.
Then there are all the problems with Marvel’s VFX. VFX artists have been vocal about their poor working conditions, and Marvel’s hasty special effects have come increasingly under fire. So if Marvel is taking its time to make sure they get this series right? In the long run, that’s a win.
(featured image: Disney+)
