Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel Studios

  • REVIEW: ‘Secret Invasion’ Episode 3

    REVIEW: ‘Secret Invasion’ Episode 3

    Episode 3 of Marvel Studios Secret Invasion certainly doesn’t ascend to the heights of the previous installment but it does share the same strengths. “Betrayed” follows the same recipe for success as “Promises” by giving stars Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn plenty of room to riff off one another but fails to deliver the payload due in part to a fairly uninspired and less-than-surprising series of “twists.”

    Billed as a paranoid spy-thriller, Secret Invasion hasn’t really been steeped in much paranoia and the outcomes of this episode’s spy games were all too predictable. The Skrull plot to blow up the UN plane didn’t work?! G’iah got caught!? Rhodey is a Skrull?! When compared to similar projects within the genre, the attempt to thrill and surprise the audience not only doesn’t live up to Mission: Impossible standards but also does not even to the MCU’s espionage goalpost, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The good news, however, is that the series is only at the halfway point and hopefully ups its game during the second half.

    Ben Mendelsohn as Talos/Keller in Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.

    Whether the series ever lives up to the billing of a high-stakes spy thriller or not, it’s clear that Kyle Bradstreet, Ali Selim and the team of creatives behind Secret Invasion knew where their bread would be buttered and gave the supremely talented duo of Jackson and Mendelsohn room to work. When watching the two playfully barb one another, it’s impossible not to think that the two veteran talents either had some input into their dialogue or did a fair amount of ad-libbing. Either way, the result continues to be some of the MCU’s best character work. And on that note, using the series to draw out the idea that Nick Fury’s reputation as “the spy” of the MCU was built on the backs of Talos and his Skrulls is a wonderful bit of retconning that truly changes the world we thought we knew. Maybe the second half of the series will allow Gravik and his extremist Skrulls the same opportunity.

    As for Gravik, he’s given some real bite by Kingsley Ben-Adir despite being written into some corners. Now that his Super Skrull plan has been revealed (as well as the fact that he’s already powered himself up), that will seemingly become Fury and Talos’ primary problem. How can two non-powered folks take down an army of Super Skrulls? They certainly can’t expect help from War Machine now that we know Rhodey is a Skrull and Fury has already made it clear he’s not calling The Avengers for help. So, perhaps his best bet is a Super Skrull or two of his own? While Marvel Studios has been known to waste a talent or two over the course of its 15-year history, it’s hard to believe they just Quicksilvered Emilia Clarke, especially when promotional footage for the series has shown her character in several key scenes that haven’t made their way into the show yet…including one in which she appears to be in Gravik’s Super Skrull maker. Of course, that could all have been subterfuge by the studio but given the myriad ways Gi’ah could still be alive let’s hope it’s not.

    While it’s a bit concerning that Secret Invasion only delivered one truly strong episode in the first half of the series, it does actually feel like the best is yet to come. Through visual cues, the audience can track the “return of Nick Fury” and so far, he’s not quite there yet. Once Fury resumes being Fury–and what will it take to finally push him to that point?–the series could become something else entirely as well.

  • Benedict Cumberbatch Reveals When Doctor Strange Will Return

    Benedict Cumberbatch Reveals When Doctor Strange Will Return

    When last seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Doctor Stephen Strange hopped off to an undisclosed alternate universe with Charlize Theron‘s Clea with the promise that he’d return again. However, despite a third film in the franchise rumored to have been fast-tracked, there’s been no official announcement from Marvel Studios just yet, leaving fans wondering when they might see the Master of the Mystic Arts again. As it turns out, his next appearance may not be as far away as some might think.

    In an interview with Nick Hackworth, Benedict Cumberbatch revealed that plans are in place for him to step back into the role of Strange. After describing his next role as Pete Seeger in James Mangold‘s upcoming Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, Cumberbatch teased his return to the MCU.

    “After that [A Complete Unknown],the only thing I think I know for certain is there are some Marvel capers in the making next year,” revealed Cumberbatch. And while the actor went on to clarify that he knows very little about the plans–and given the current climate in Hollywood, it’s easy to believe him–a little Sherlockian deduction might lead to some possible explanations.

    Following Disney’s major reshuffling of their future slate of films, only two Marvel Studios films, Blade and Fantastic Four, are currently intended to release in 2025. Of those projects, only Fantastic Four is known to be scheduled to film in 2024 with Blade believed to be nearly ready to enter production as soon as the ongoing WGA strike comes to an end. Given Strange’s travels to Earth-838 make him one of only three MCU characters to have met that Earth’s version of Reed Richards, it isn’t too hard to imagine Strange interacting with the main continuity’s Mister Fantastic. Of course, that doesn’t take all other options off the table. There’s an Untitled Marvel film slated for February 13, 2026 which could potentially be either Doctor Strange 3 or another film in which Strange appears and it’s certainly worth pointing out that while Cumberbatch will be filming next year, he never indicated he was working on a film. With that in mind, it’s possible he’s joining any number of Disney Plus projects that are either known to be or rumored to be in the works. Unfortunately, with Marvel sitting out SDCC ’23, we’ll likely have to wait quite some time to find out what’s next for Strange.

    Source: YouTube

  • Evan Peters’ Ralph Bohner Rumored to Pop Back into the MCU

    Evan Peters’ Ralph Bohner Rumored to Pop Back into the MCU

    It appears that Marvel Studios did NOT learn anything from WandaVision. Marvel Studios first streaming series generated an inordinate amount of buzz each week as fans theorized that everyone from Reed Richards to Magneto to Mephisto would appear and then went into frenetic outrage when their theories came up empty. Adding to the frenzy was the appearance of Evan Peters who after portraying Quicksilver in the Fox X-Men franchise, popped into WandaVision as Wanda’s twin brother only to be revealed to be an out-of-work actor named Ralph Bohner. Week to week, the outrage over Bohner grew and grew as it became clear that Peters‘ Bohner was nothing more than a misdirection. Despite all the rage over Bohner, a new rumor suggests that Marvel Studios is ready to revisit the flaccid role in its WandaVision follow-up.

    According to insider Daniel RPK (via @ScarletWitchUpd), Peters‘ will take another stab at Bohner in the WandaVision spinoff Agatha: Coven of Chaos.

    It might seem that revisiting Peters‘ Bohner might not have much left to offer the MCU following a disappointing first ride but clearly Jac Schaeffer and the powers that be don’t see it that way. However, while it seems unlikely that Bohner will fill a huge gap in the plot of the series, given where WandaVision left his character and Kathryn Hahn‘s Agatha, there’s probably a little space for the character to slide into the plot in some satisfying way.

    Agatha: Coven of Chaos is currently expected to stream on Disney Plus at some point in 2024.

    Source: Twitter

  • Anthony Mackie on the Pressure of Becoming Captain America and Sam’s Story Picks up in ‘Brave New World’

    Anthony Mackie on the Pressure of Becoming Captain America and Sam’s Story Picks up in ‘Brave New World’

    Before audiences decided they hated everything produced by Marvel Studios, they loved everything produced by Marvel Studios. From 2014 through 2019, the vast majority of MCU films were overwhelmingly well-received by critics and fans alike. Many of those films involved one of the shared universe’s most beloved characters, Steve Rogers, played by one of its most beloved talents in Chris Evans. At least for the time being, Evans has put the MCU behind him and, following the events of the Marvel Studios streaming series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, has been replaced as Captain America by Sam Wilson, portrayed by one of Hollywood’s most charismatic talents in Anthony Mackie. In 2024’s Captain America: Brave New World, Mackie will lead his first MCU feature film and become the first actor to take over an existing franchise as a legacy character and according to the actor, he’s feeling the pressure.

    “There’s a huge amount of pressure,” Mackie told Inverse. “You throw my dumb ass in the water, and you’re like, ‘Swim.’ I’m like, ‘Sh*t.’ But at the same time, it’s all in the state of mind. I’ve been given a great cast. I’ve been given a great group of people who I’ve worked with before.” That great group of people includes director Julius Onah and co-stars Danny Ramierez, Shira Haas and Harrison Ford, who Mackie said made him “so fucking nervous” on their first day working together that he couldn’t remember his lines. “He’s Harrison fucking Ford,” said Mackie. “There is this aura about him. But he dispels that really quickly because he’s such a cool guy. He’s everything a movie star should be,” explained Mackie before recounting Ford’s on-set demeanor. “He would say, ‘Let’s shoot this piece of shit.’ And everybody was like, ‘Yeah, let’s shoot this shit,” said Mackie.

    falcon and winter soldier vfx
    Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Marvel Studios’ THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

    Despite picking up the shield that once belonged to Steve Rogers, Mackie is quick to explain that Sam Wilson is his own Cap. “It’s more so about his ability to connect and counsel,” Mackie says of Sam’s “superpower.” “He’s not as rash to bear arms as Steve Rogers was. Having a super serum makes you impossible to beat, so your answer to everything is to fight it out. Whereas Sam Wilson can actually die pretty easily. He realized that his ability is not to change the world with force; it’s about giving people the wherewithal and the recognition that they deserve so that they can make a change,” Mackie explained. “I can go around and beat up people all day; it won’t matter. Those people are going to come right back and do the same shit.” Despite not having superpowers, however, Mackie made one thing clear. “All the flying, CGI, and all that shit. That’s going to happen,” he assured.

    As of now, Mackie’s first film foray as Cap is slated for July 26th, 2024 and despite some fairly spoilery set photos making their way online, the plot of the film is still relatively unclear. Though he wouldn’t say much, Mackie did indicate that he and Ford worked together quite a bit on Brave New World. “We spent a good bit of time together. Ross and Cap have always had that relationship, where they were friends and they respected each other, but they always bumped heads. That’s their relationship in the storyline,” explained Mackie. With Ross set to become the President of the United States of America, it’s interesting to imagine what would cause him to bump heads with Captain America. As of now, fans will have to wait just over a year to find out.

    Source: Inverse

  • REVIEW: ‘Secret Invasion’ Episode 2-Broken Promises, Big Dreams and Colossal Talent

    REVIEW: ‘Secret Invasion’ Episode 2-Broken Promises, Big Dreams and Colossal Talent

    In the case of all things which have several parts and in which the totality is not, as it were, a mere heap, but the whole is something besides the parts…

    Aristotle

    It’s safe to say Aristotle wasn’t talking about Episode 2 of Secret Invasion when he wrote those words in his principal treatise, Metaphysics, but that doesn’t mean they don’t apply. “Promises”, the second of six episodes in Disney Plus’ latest Marvel Studios streaming series, is a coruscating collection of incredibly well-written scenes, made great by a set of colossally talented actors, that when viewed holistically appear as one of the finest episodes of television from the studio to date. Bookmarked by some damn interesting retconning that gives fans a lot to chew on when it comes to what they thought they knew about Nick Fury, “Promises” delivers a perfect follow-up episode to its more slowly-paced predecessor and provides hope that Secret Invasion could be full of surprises.

    Short of the awkward scene in which we learn that Maria Hill had a mother, “Promises” provides the audience with the necessary exposition to understand precisely what Gravik’s Skrulls are up to AND why Gravik is up to it. Kingsley Ben-Adir‘s air of nonchalance as the character proves a compelling choice in relaying to the audience that–in his mind–the war he wages on Earth is already won. As seen in the episode’s opening flashback, his shared history with Fury has put a chip on his shoulder that can never be repaired. And as Gravik’s impressive vibe check of the Skrull Council shows, he will find a way to get his way. As the newly minted War Time Skrull General, Gravik will now have the (almost) full support of the Council to carry out his plan to create an army of Super Skrulls. That plan, revealed via one of Marvel Studios’ coolest Easter eggy scenes since Iron Man 2‘s “map scene”, involves using the work of human scientists to bind the DNA of a collection of powerful beings, such as Groot and Cull Obsidian, to that of Skrull warriors. As promotional footage for the series has already revealed, Gravik’s plan will be successful which makes you wonder how Fury, who won’t call in The Avengers, can save the day.

    (L-R): Ben Mendelsohn as Talos and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

    The strength of “Promises”, however, lies not in the revelation of a pretty comic book-y plot by the bad guys, but in the strength of the individual performances given by the ensemble cast. One episode after some heavy-handed writing bogged down the series debut, Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn’s Tarantino-esque train car scene should be the gold standard for how dialogue can be enjoyable and move the story along. The two stars share such chemistry that you wish they’d had a longer train ride. Next, it’s Don Cheadle‘s turn to star, including an especially powerful conversation with Fury that makes it clear–if it somehow wasn’t already–Rhodey is nobody’s sidekick but rather a force to be reckoned with in or out of the armor. And if you didn’t enjoy Olivia Colman‘s display of her massive talent while she tortured the captive Skrull…masterful. And the episode’s final scenes provide one of the MCU’s biggest jaw-droppers to date…and jaws will drop even further before it’s over. Scene after scene after scene, “Promises” delivers a series of moments that ultimately do coalesce into a damn good episode of Marvel TV that gives the series some necessary momentum.

    I’m Nick Fury. Even when I’m out I’m in.

    The stage is set for the series’ second act, one that will certainly see the “old Fury” find his way back to take on his “wayward son.” Gravik may think he’s already won the War for Earth but this is Fury’s war, too, and he hasn’t even started fighting yet.

  • ‘Secret Invasion’ Outpacing ‘Ms. Marvel’s Viewership

    ‘Secret Invasion’ Outpacing ‘Ms. Marvel’s Viewership

    There’s always been a lot of discussions surrounding what makes a show successful on Disney+. We have very little insight outside of third-party analysis like Samba sharing various viewership numbers from the first five days. Marvel Studios’ latest show, Secret Invasion, has been released and it looks like the show has outpaced Ms. Marvel’s initial release.

    According to Samba TV, the show has been watched by 994K US households within its first five days. That is, as they point out, above Ms. Marvel’s 775K but below the last Diseny+ series, She-Hulk which pulled in around 1.5M. While the difference is big when compared to the sitcom that released last year, it does make sense given that there’s no major character name in the title and it’s more subtle marketing strategy.

    It’s easy to point to the AI drama surrounding its opening title to be a reason it has lower viewership, but we tend to overanalyze these types of discussions in the offline world. Plus, Ms. Marvel is a showing of how not every Marvel show is going to be a massive multi-million release in its first five days; especially as this is just an estimate based on external data. It’s an easy connection point but not hard to say if it truly is a causality; similar to how we underestimate how few know about Ezra Miller’s history when it comes to The Flash’s box office.

    What will be interesting is to see if the viewership numbers rise over the coming weeks, especially with how the series focuses on twists and turns throughout its six-episode season. Shows like Apple TV+ have different metrics, why The Crowded Room opening to 192K households over three days could be a success for that streamer but detrimental to others. A lot of Marvel shows saw viewership rise throughout its multiple episodes and could do the same here as word-of-mouth kicks off from what happens in the latest episodes but only time will tell.

    Source: Twitter, The Direct, Twitter (Crowded Room)

  • You Get a Captain Marvel, You Get a Captain Marvel…Samuel L. Jackson Reveals the MCU’s New Approach to the Shared Moniker

    You Get a Captain Marvel, You Get a Captain Marvel…Samuel L. Jackson Reveals the MCU’s New Approach to the Shared Moniker

    Across the decades, the House of Ideas has churned out multiple Captains Marvel. The Kree hero Mar-Vell, Monica Rambeau, Genis-Vell, Phyla-Vell, Noh-Varr, Carol Danvers and even a weird Skrull/Mar-Vell hybrid have all been known as Captain Marvel in the pages of Marvel Comics. The MCU has shown no interest in following the lineage laid out in those pages and has chosen instead to blaze its own trail, leapfrogging 5 Captains to get to Carol and revealing that on Earth-838, Maria Rambeau became Captain Marvel. Now it appears that much like the comics, the moniker of Captain Marvel is going to be shared by more than just those two characters.

    In an interview with Sway’s Universe, Secret Invasion star Samuel L. Jackson, whose Nick Fury is set to appear in November’s The Marvels, indicated that two more characters may be set to take shared ownership of the title of Captain Marvel. “After Secret Invasion, I’m moving on to The Marvels where you got like three different people who are Captain Marvel,” said Jackson. “You got Brie, you got a black Captain Marvel and you got a Muslim Captain Marvel,” continued the actor. Jackson is, of course, referring to Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau and Iman Vellani‘s Kamala Khan, both of whom will share the stage with Brie Larson‘s Carol Danvers in the upcoming film.

    This is certainly the first time we’ve heard of the possibility of these characters sharing the distinction of being called Captain Marvel but it does fall in line with the way the title has been treated in the comics. It also certainly doesn’t preclude any of the characters from having other superhero names as not too many characters have sported the title Captain Marvel for long in the comics. Marvel Studios The Marvels will hit theaters November 11th.

    Source: Sway’s Universe via The Direct

  • ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Gets Digital, Physical Media Release Dates

    ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Gets Digital, Physical Media Release Dates

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, James Gunn‘s farewell to the franchise that put him on the superhero map, has had a successful run in theaters and now, as it approaches the end of its run, Disney has revealed when the film will be made available for home theaters.

    Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill must rally his team to defend the universe and protect one of their own. If the mission is not completely successful, it could possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.


    Official Synopsis for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which debuted in theaters on May 5th, will be available for purchase on digital platforms beginning on July 7th. Just about one month later, on August 1st, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD copies of the film will hit store shelves. Disney has yet to reveal when the film will release on Disney Plus.

    As of the time of publication, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has grossed over $823M worldwide during its six-week run with $347M of that coming from the domestic box office.

  • Maria Hill, We Hardly Knew Ye

    Maria Hill, We Hardly Knew Ye

    Maria Hill is dead. Killed by the Skrull extremist leader Gravik as a message to Nick Fury, Hill spent her last moments in disbelief as the shapeshifter took the form of Fury before pulling the trigger. Ironically enough, Hill foreshadowed her own death in her final conversation with Fury, held around a chessboard, when she cautioned her one-time boss and long-time friend that his uncertainty was going to get someone hurt. That someone was her and as the camera pulled back from her as she lay dying on the streets of Moscow and the audience was left to reel at the shocking stakes of Nick Fury’s decisions, there was simply no reeling to be done. The impact Kyle Bradstreet, Ali Selim and the rest of the creatives behind Secret Invasion intended her death to have simply wasn’t there because they killed off a character that the audience simply did not know.

    Though she’s been around since making her debut in 2012’s The Avengers, Maria Hill hasn’t played a major role in an MCU project since 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Now that the subterfuge of Marvel’s PR blitz–which featured a heavy dose of Cobie Smulders–has been exposed, it’s clear that the studio brought back Smulders to die. It’s also clear that they intended that death to carry some weight given the camera’s extended focus on Hill’s corpse and the timing of the death, coming in the closing moments of Episode 1, “Resurrection.” But even with a decade of MCU service time spread out over 6 films on her resume, Hill’s death felt less impactful than intended and probably less impactful than it should have. However, that’s no fault of the people who worked on Secret Invasion.

    Relegated to cameos or minor appearances for the majority of her time in the MCU, Hill stands as one of the best examples of a major character from the pages of Marvel Comics whose transition to the MCU failed her. Created and deployed liberally by Brian Michael Bendis, Hill was a powerhouse who spent the 2000s right at the center of the publisher’s line-wide events such as Civil War, Secret Invasion, Dark Reign and Siege. For some of that time, Hill lead S.H.I.E.LD. following Nick Fury’s disappearance after his Secret War. In the MCU, she’s Fury’s right hand and, apparently, one of the only people he trusts. Other than that, the character has never really been developed in any meaningful way. That last time she was seen in a project, 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, she wasn’t even her. What went wrong in adapting the character from page to screen?

    First and foremost, it seems that the decision to tear down S.H.I.E.L.D. may have cost the character a significant role. While Secret Invasion plays with the idea of Nick Fury having fallen off the radar as he did following Bendis’ Secret War, there’s no S.H.I.E.L.D. for Hill to take over. There’s nothing for Hill to take over. Come to think of it, what has she been doing since the Blip? Your guess is as good as mine because there’s no attempt to make it clear in Secret Invasion. In fact, all we get in Secret Invasion are some vague attempts to let us know Hill has tried to contact Fury for reasons unknown and a nice story about the things Fury used to say to her while they play their favorite strategy game. Did you know Hill and Fury played chess? Nobody did because nobody knows anything about Maria Hill.

    Despite having a talented actress attached to the role of Hill in Cobie Smulders, the character was poorly realized over time and outside of her appearance in The Winter Solider, was essentially a one-dimensional character. The writers of Secret Invasion tried to redesign and reshape Hill to some extent by having her tell the audience about her shared past with Fury but given only one episode to do so, the efforts were futile. Her death will certainly be used by fuel as Fury to enter into his “one last fight.” He’ll want vengeance for his friend but, at the end of the day, that’s all the MCU’s Maria Hill ever got to be. There was no Maria Hill, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. There was only Maria Hill, friend of Fury. And it’s a shame that’s all the folks at Marvel Studios could find to do with one of Marvel Comics biggest badasses.


  • REVIEW: Jackson’s Star Aside, A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action Would Have Benefitted the Debut of ‘Secret Invasion’

    REVIEW: Jackson’s Star Aside, A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action Would Have Benefitted the Debut of ‘Secret Invasion’

    Billed as a paranoia-laced spy thriller, Marvel Studios latest Disney Plus streaming series, Secret Invasion, has been pretty hotly anticipated by MCU fans who while not at 2020 levels yet, are starting to starve for content following Disney’s decision to slow their roll. It’s been made more than clear that the series was not intended to be a superhero spectacle, like the Marvel Comics event from which it took its name but rather a dive into the world of espionage where Nick Fury has always reigned supreme. That means that Samuel L. Jackson gets to take the lead in an MCU project after 15 years of being part of the supporting cast and for an actor of Jackson’s prodigious talent, that means room to explore all the nooks and crannies that make Fury tick, promising an entertaining character study. On that promise, the first episode of Secret Invasion, “Resurrection”, delivers as Jackson’s endless well of charisma floods every scene. However, bogged down at times by exposition and filled with too few thrilling moments, “Resurrection” feels like a disappointing return to Disney Plus following a nearly year-long wait.

    It’s clear Jackson is having the time of his MCU life in the space he’s given to explore Nick Fury in Secret Invasion. It’s also made clear–nearly excruciatingly painfully clear at times–that this isn’t the Fury fans remember from before because, in case you missed it, he’s just never been the same since Thanos. If you missed it the first time, no sweat, the writer’s room had you covered making sure that Ben Mendelsohn, Olivia Colman and Cobie Smulders all let the audience know that this Nick isn’t that Nick. And in case them telling him didn’t catch your ear, Killian Scott‘s Pagon–possibly the most useless character in MCU history (everything he did could have been done offscreen to no detriment to the story)–tell’s the series’ big bad Gravik all about Fury’s downfall. Obviously, this is an incredibly heavy-handed setup for the reveal, somewhere down the road, that Nick Fury is back, mother fuckers, but a little more show and a lot less tell would have been appreciated. That aside, whether he’s sharing a remorseful scene with Mendelsohn‘s Talos, trading barbs with Colman’s absolutely delightful Sonya Falsworth or reconnecting with his closest ally in Smulders‘ Maria Hill, Jackson‘s star is on its full, brilliant display throughout the episode…and he’s only just getting started.

    (L-R): Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in Marvel Studios’ SECRET INVASION, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Des Willie. © 2023 MARVEL.

    As for the “paranoia”, it seems to be unfortunately kept at bay for most of the first episode of the series. The opening five minutes or so ahead of the credits tries its level best to get those juices flowing with Agent Prescod’s parody of Charlie Day‘s Pepe Silvia rant but it falls short of hitting those conspiratorial heights because it lacks any true intrigue. Nearly from the moment Martin Freeman‘s Everett Ross enters the room, it seems all too clear he’s been simmed by a Skrull. Lack of intrigue aside, those opening moments do nicely lay out the plan in place by Kingsley Ben-Adir‘s Gravik and make it clear that Fury isn’t just returning to Earth, he’s returning to Earth at the beginning of a war…and war means casualties.

    Casualties there were in the episode’s closing moments as hundreds of innocent Russian men, women and children were killed by the bombs detonated by Gravik before he dealt Fury one more blow by killing Maria Hill…and no death has felt flatter than hers. While it’s obviously supposed to help Fury recapture his lost mojo and return him to his pre-Blip form, it has little to no impact with the audience. While Hill is a major player in the comics, she’s hardly been tertiary in the MCU with her last big action coming in Captain America: The Winter Solider and you can bet that a significant chunk of the audience tuning in to watch Secret Invasion has either never seen that 2014 film or hasn’t seen it in quite some time. That’s the increasingly unbearable weight of the massive volume of projects in Marvel’s shared cinematic universe; anyone other than the hardest of hardcore fans just doesn’t really know why Hill is supposed to matter. It’s clear that the audience is supposed to feel bad; it’s just not really clear why because there’s no deep connection to the character.

    (L-R): Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos in Marvel Studios’ SECRET INVASION, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Des Willie. © 2023 MARVEL.

    As fans will discover in Episode 2, much of Episode 1 could have ended up on the cutting room floor. The pace picks up nicely in the next episode, specifically surrounding the Skrulls’ plans to take over Earth. However, “Resurrection” does make the Skrulls threatening enough and does so in a very modern way. To be sure, there’s plenty of hatred in the real world and the alien Skrulls take full advantage of this in Secret Invasion, posing as members of any number of terrorist cells and setting off enough chaos to bring the world to the brink of World War III. The episode doesn’t reveal the entirety of their plan, which they hatch from the safety of an abandoned nuclear reactor outside of Moscow, but it provides enough of a heads-up that things are headed in a bad direction. As bad guy lairs go, an abandoned nuclear power plant is a new twist that even a Bond villain could be envious of; however, despite their explained immunity to radioactivity, couldn’t the Skrulls just be easily tracked with some sort of modified Geiger counter?

    A little light on the paranoia and a lot light on the action, “Resurrection” is a less-than-thrilling Lazarus act for the MCU on Disney Plus. Fortunately, however, its cast, led by Jackson, makes it entertaining enough for one sitting despite the heavy-handedness of the writers’ room. While that feels almost inescapable at this point, especially as they continue to try to rake in new fans, it’s going to continue to be a topic of discussion and debate and a point of frustration for those who have been along for the entire ride.