Marvel is trying to do something new for its TV series with Secret Invasion, which reworks the major comic storyline that sees a faction of shape-shifting aliens infiltrate all aspects of life on Earth as humans. The spy drama stars Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, who suspects that the Skrulls are invading and teams up with his allies, including Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), to stop them.
The six-episode show premieres on Disney+ on Wednesday and will be released weekly until it wraps up on July 26. The first trailer teases a more vulnerable and human Nick Fury, but the show also looks like it will have some intense action.
A new look at the show’s second episode shows that the secret war against the Skrulls will be dark and gritty. The action is fast and furious, but the characters need clarification about how they fight their enemies.
There are plenty of tense moments in the latest promo, with Kingsley Ben-Adir’s character discovering a lair full of unconscious people and Emilia Clarke’s character uncovering what appears to be an entire army of Skrulls. The clip has a different feel than the first trailer, which debuted at D23.
Secret Invasion is the first Marvel mini-series without a superhero solution, which is something that many fans have been excited about. Instead, the show relies on the strength and resolve of its characters to save the day.
The show’s new episode will premiere on Wednesday at 3:00 AM ET/12:01 AM PT on Disney+. After that, it will be available every Wednesday until it ends on July 26, which is standard for a Netflix show.
Samuel L. Jackson is grateful that Marvel did not depict his role as the spy Nick Fury as a “sagacious one-eyed guy that knows everything that will kill you in a hot minute.” He says he wanted to play a more vulnerable and down-to-earth version of his character.
He also praised his co-stars for their performances, particularly Olivia Colman as MI6 agent Sonya Falsworth and Martin Freeman as General Glenn Talbot. The two actors are known for their work on the British hit TV series Sherlock and The Crown, respectively, while Freeman has also appeared in Doctor Who and Star Trek.
While the trailer reveals some of the show’s key villains, the rest of the cast is still a mystery, but Ben Mendelsohn and Cobie Smulders have already been confirmed as returning to their roles. This is the twelfth MCU project for Mendelsohn and the sixth time Smulders has played Maria Hill.
The writers and directors of the first episode are Thomas Bezucha and Ali Selim, both newcomers to the MCU but have some solid directing credits on their resumes. Bezucha has directed the comedy The Family Stone and crime thriller Let Him Go, and Selim broke into filmmaking with 2005’s historical drama Sweet Land.
