Secret Invasion Finale Breaks New Ground: An Unforgettable Ending for the MCU!

Highlights

The series fails to meet its potential as a gripping spy thriller, lacking in both execution and suspense. Despite high anticipation, the show falls short of expectations.

The negative reception of Secret Invasion was partly due to the controversial decisions made regarding the utilization of AI in the opening sequence and the early disclosure of Skrull identities. Despite being highly anticipated and surrounded by high expectations from fans and critics, the Marvel Studios series ultimately left them disappointed, eventually setting a challenging record for the MCU to surpass.

Secret Invasion, loosely based on the comic book event of the same name, portrays the infiltration of Skrulls into Earth's highest ranks, including the Avengers. Fans eagerly anticipated a departure from recent MCU projects, hoping for a unique experience akin to Andor. The series was expected to be a grounded, character-driven spy thriller with minimal super-powered individuals. However, the execution of the show failed to meet fans' lofty expectations.

Despite receiving poor and mixed reviews for its first five episodes, fans held out hope that the Secret Invasion finale would redeem the series. Unfortunately, the final episode turned out to be the worst-rated MCU Disney Plus episode on Rotten Tomatoes. Currently, it stands at a dismal 13% rating based on only 8 reviews. Prior to Secret Invasion, this dubious distinction belonged to episode 6 of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which received a 70% rating from critics. In comparison, every episode of Secret Invasion fell below the ratings of any other MCU Disney Plus show.

Secret Invasion, the latest MCU Disney Plus series, has garnered lackluster reviews from Rotten Tomatoes critics, earning a disappointing 57% rating. It stands as the only series in the MCU to be deemed "rotten." Among its episodes, the highest-rated was the premiere, titled "Resurrection," which secured a meager 52%. Episodes 2 and 5 shared a middling score of 50%, while episodes 3 and 4 fared even worse with a 38% rating. Notably, 2023 witnessed not only the lowest-rated MCU series but also the lowest-rated movie: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, tallying a critic score of 46%, narrowly surpassing Eternals' 47%.

The series faced fan backlash from the start due to controversial decisions, such as using AI for the Secret Invasion opening sequence and killing off a beloved character in the first episode. Secret Invasion has received negative reviews from critics for a few reasons. Firstly, the series promised a political thriller with intense suspense that never materialized. The show's tagline, "Who do you trust?" loses its significance when there are only a few possible Skrulls, and it becomes apparent early on who is and isn't a Skrull.

Prior to its premiere, Game Rant's review of Secret Invasion gave the first two episodes a rating of two and a half stars out of five. The review stated, "Despite being advertised as a spy thriller, Secret Invasion fails to capture the high stakes and tangible tension of the genre." With The Marvels expected to be a sequel to Secret Invasion, some fans have low expectations.

Secret Invasion is currently available for streaming on Disney Plus.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes