Marvel's Secret Invasion Delivers Epic Runtime Record - Addressing the Biggest Complaint with a Game Changing Twist

Summary

Secret Invasion received complaints for its pacing and uneven episodes, with the season finale lacking emotion and criticized for its CGI fight scene.

The show's minimal duration suggests that it might have been more appropriate as a film, enabling a more concentrated narrative and improved production standards. Transforming Secret Invasion into an Avengers movie could have effectively depicted the vastness and paranoia of the comics, while also intensifying the danger posed by the Skrulls. Unfortunately, this course of action was not pursued.

Secret Invasion's Marvel Cinematic Universe runtime record exacerbates a major complaint about the show. Marvel's latest series on Disney+ garnered numerous grievances, stemming from various factors such as the implementation of AI in its opening credits and the contentious story decisions made by the series' creative team, which even prompted Secret Invasion director Ali Selim to fear death threats. Although Secret Invasion shed light on Samuel L. Jackson's portrayal of Nick Fury as Earth's primary defense against a Skrull invasion, the series did not receive the level of adoration that Marvel had anticipated. Despite serving as a pivotal stepping stone for the future of the MCU and setting up multiple movies and shows, Secret Invasion had one of the lowest viewership figures among the MCU series on Disney+. It received a mixed to negative reception from both critics and audiences. Adding to the disappointment, Secret Invasion now holds the record for the longest runtime within the MCU, further exacerbating the aforementioned complaint about the show.

Secret Invasion's Shortest Runtime Record Break Shows It Didn't Need To be A Show

As evidenced by Reddit user u/SpaceCaboose, Secret Invasion's total duration of 3 hours, 43 minutes, and 30 seconds — excluding credits or recaps — is the briefest among all MCU series. Secret Invasion now holds the lowest spot on the list, overtaking She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, which exceeds Secret Invasion by precisely 10 minutes and 10 seconds. In contrast, the lengthiest MCU series, WandaVision, amounts to a total runtime of 4 hours, 30 minutes, and 4 seconds. The fact that Secret Invasion holds the record for the shortest duration among all MCU series underscores the possibility of a different format, with a movie likely being better suited to serve its story.

How A Secret Invasion Movie Avoids Several Big Show Complaints

Numerous complaints were lodged against Secret Invasion throughout its entire run, with particular emphasis on the show's pacing. Although the series commenced with longer episodes, it progressively dwindled, culminating in some of the shortest episode durations for any MCU series. This uneven pacing appeared to result from stretching the story to fit into a show, ultimately yielding a season finale that lacked any discernible emotion. The heavily criticized season finale of Secret Invasion primarily centered around the underwhelming special effects on display for Emilia Clarke's character during the significant CGI battle between G'iah and Gravik.

The story of Secret Invasion would have been better suited for a movie, allowing the finale fight to receive the same level of attention as the major confrontations in other MCU films. Adapting Secret Invasion into a movie would have also allowed for the expansive scope found in the original comics. However, as a series, Secret Invasion did not feature any Avengers, missing the opportunity to maintain the paranoia of heroes being exposed as Skrulls, as depicted in the comics. It could have also elevated the Skrulls' threat beyond what was portrayed in the series. Unfortunately, this did not come to fruition, resulting in Secret Invasion joining the ranks of recent controversial MCU releases.