The MCU Will Get Political With ‘Secret Invasion’

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The Skrull villain Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) screaming toward camera in 'Secret Invasion'

Credit: Marvel

The release of Marvel’s highly-anticipated Secret Invasion is right around the corner. And according to one of its stars, the espionage thriller series won’t shy away from getting political.

Nick Fury played by Samuel L. Jackson
Credit: Marvel Studios

Secret Invasion is slated to arrive on Disney+ next month, and sees the return of a familiar face: Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury. The MCU veteran is finally getting his turn as the lead in the series, where he’ll star alongside franchise newcomers Olivia Coleman and Emilia Clarke, as well as Kingsley Ben-Adir and Ben Mendelsohn.

Watch the official trailer for Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion below:

Story details have begun to roll out in recent weeks, and fans now have a better idea of what they can expect to see in the show. After returning from space, Fury and his allies are tasked with stopping an escalating war for Earth between humanity and a radicalized group of disgruntled Skrull refugees, who have been essentially homeless since losing their native planet to the Kree, as seen in 2019’s Captain Marvel.

Olivia Colman in Secret Invasion
Credit: Marvel Studios

Having spent time with the Skrull, Fury is the perfect man for the job. But unsurprisingly, he’ll run into some issues along the way—namely, in the form of Coleman’s MI6 agent Sonya Falsworth. New reports also claim Fury will butt heads with Don Cheadle’s James “Rhodey” Rhodes (AKA War Machine).

Clarke is set to play G’iah, the daughter of Skrull general Talos. And according to the Game of Thrones alum, the series will feature complex political themes that are sadly reverent in real life, particularly regarding the Skrulls’ displacement.  

Secret Invasion Emilia Clarke
Credit: Marvel Studios

Speaking with Empire Magazine, Clarke recently commented on the political and “timely” nature of Secret Invasion, claiming that many viewers will be able to identify with the show’s universal themes of struggling to find “home”:

I think the joy of getting to explore political ideas in a high-concept world is that you get the space to see the problem as a whole. You’re not triggered by your own individual experience because, let’s face it, you’re watching aliens. I think through G’iah you see the quandary the Skulls are in. She allows the audience to have a point of view that straddles both the human and the Skrull side of things.

It seems like Secret Invasion will tackle some of the same current, large-scale issues we see in our everyday society, distinguishing it from Marvel’s usual brand of Disney+ shows. Migrants being left without a home for political bargaining is, unfortunately, a very topical issue today, leading to an ongoing refugee crisis in many parts of the world.

Emilia Clarke's G'iah talking to Ben Mendelsohn's Talos
Credit: Marvel Studios

It’ll be interesting to see how the series connects this very relevant social issue to the Skrull and if Earth’s inhabitants will eventually find common ground with the shape-shifting aliens. 

As for Marvel, addressing relevant social issues in their movies and TV shows is far from a new phenomenon. The aftereffects of Thanos’ Snap left the galaxy in ruin, as seen at the beginning of Avengers: Endgame (2019). To make matters worse, the billions of people who returned five years later put a significant strain on resources and housing, creating logistical crises for those who were displaced.

Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) in Secret Invasion
Credit: Marvel Studios

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier focused on a post-Blip Earth and even allowed viewers to emphasize with its radical terrorist antagonist, Karli Morgenthau. Recognizing that the world’s governments were unequipped to handle the refugee crisis caused by the Blip, her organization, the Flag Smashers, sought to take down the Global Repatriation Council at any cost.

Secret Invasion will likely feature the Robin Hood-esque flare seen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, with Fury acting as a liaison between humanity and the Skulls. And if Clarke’s remarks are anything to go by, some of its core themes will hit particularly close to home.

Secret Invasion premieres on Disney+ on June 21, 2023.

What do you think of Secret Invasion commenting on the ongoing refugee crisis? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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