Nick Fury Unveils Shapeshifting Skrull Conspiracy in Secret Invasion

The upcoming Marvel Studios series, Secret Invasion, is set to debut on Disney+ and promises to be a game-changer for the MCU. With a focus on darker themes and a ground-level espionage storyline, it has the potential to do for Marvel what Andor did for Star Wars. The series will put the spotlight on Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, who will uncover a sinister conspiracy involving shapeshifting Skrulls infiltrating Earth and assuming the identities of powerful figures around the world. The series is set to run for six episodes and, unlike some of Marvel's other streaming shows, will have a serialized storyline that is not just a stretched-out feature film.

Andor was widely praised for its first season, hailed as one of the greatest pieces of Star Wars media ever produced. The show did not rely on nostalgia or gratuitous cameos to tell its story of a revolutionary battling an evil empire. Instead, it focused on telling a great story that explored the cost of rebellion. Similarly, Secret Invasion has the opportunity to use the comic book universe as a backdrop for a unique espionage thriller, rather than pandering to an existing fan base.

Secret Invasion's Creator Has An Impressive Résumé

Based on the comic book arc of the same name, Secret Invasion was brought to life by Kyle Bradstreet as the creator and executive producer. Bradstreet's impressive résumé, much like Andor's creator Tony Gilroy, sets him up to bring a fresh perspective to his chosen franchise. Gilroy's work on engaging thrillers such as Michael Clayton and the Bourne movies made him the perfect writer to depict a gritty Star Wars story about the unsung Rebel spies who made the sacrifices and did the dirty work that led to significant triumphs like Luke Skywalker's destruction of the Death Star. Similarly, Bradstreet's work on the psychological techno-thriller series Mr. Robot and the tense spy drama series Berlin Station makes him the ideal choice for a Marvel show about covert secret agents thwarting a treacherous conspiracy.

Although Mr. Robot is about a hacker's plan to overthrow the world's largest corporation by wiping out its debt records, it focuses on a different type of conspiracy than Secret Invasion. The principle, however, remains the same: an underground group is trying to bring down the wealthy and powerful, while government agents are attempting to stop them. Grace Gummer's character in Mr. Robot, Dominique "Dom" DiPierro, an FBI field agent, has similarities with Fury's closest confidant, Maria Hill, who will appear in Secret Invasion with Cobie Smulders reprising her role.

Berlin Station sets the stage for a young CIA agent's mission to uncover the mole responsible for leaking intel to a notorious whistleblower. Similarly, Secret Invasion revolves around the concept of deceit, with characters adopting false identities and an agent's attempts to uncover the truth. Rhys Ifans' portrayal of grizzled spy Hector DeJean bears resemblance to Fury, a world-weary operative with a lifetime of experience in the field. Bradstreet's approach to Secret Invasion as a TV series seems tailor-made for the show's focus on espionage rather than action.

From Hawkeye to Moon Knight to Ms. Marvel, the majority of the MCU’s streaming shows have been action-packed due to their focus on superheroes. However, Secret Invasion has the opportunity to stand apart by placing the spotlight on Fury, a non-superpowered character who relies on his intellect and cunning. To truly capture the essence of Fury's character, the series should primarily emphasize these traits. While incorporating a few gadget-based action scenes, such as the explosive car chase in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the focus should be on Fury utilizing his intelligence to uncover the Skrulls' secrets. One way to showcase this could be through interrogating potential Skrulls with a personalized version of the Voight-Kampff test from Blade Runner, asking probing questions to uncover their true identities.

How Secret Invasion Should Copy Andor