Secret Invasion is set to be another vital cog in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) machine.
The upcoming superhero TV series, which is based on Brian Michael Bendis and Steve McNiven’s 2008 comic book series, may end up being one of five MCU Disney Plus shows in 2022. With its ties to Captain Marvel – the 2019 Marvel movie – and other MCU films, all-star cast, and potential to flip the MCU on its head, it’s sure to be another hit when it’s eventually released.
So what do we know about Secret Invasion? It’s still being filmed, so its launch might be delayed into 2023. Given that Marvel Studios hasn’t commented on this yet, though, we’re still hopeful that it’ll arrive in 2022.
That’s not the only information we have on Secret Invasion. Below, you’ll find even more news and rumors surrounding the Marvel Phase 4 project, including its cast, potential plot, its ties to previous and future MCU productions, and more. Possible spoilers for Secret Invasion’s TV adaptation follow. We’ll also be covering aspects of the comics and some other MCU movies and shows, so be aware of spoilers for these, too.
Secret Invasion release date
Secret Invasion release date: what we know
Currently, Secret Invasion doesn’t have an official release date. When it was first announced, it was expected that it would release sometime in 2022. Marvel Studios’ Japanese language website even suggested as much (thanks to The Cosmic Circus for finding this), with Secret Invasion part of the website’s 2022 movie and TV show line-up.
Since The Cosmic Circus’ initial report, though, Secret Invasion has been removed from the Japanese language site’s 2022 slate. It’s unclear if this means the series won’t debut this year, or that Marvel is giving itself some wriggle room over the show’s release date.
Right now, the latter seems more likely. Secret Invasion only entered production in the UK in September 2021, with numerous social media posts confirming that filming has taken place in Leeds, London, and Halifax. Additional footage is expected to be shot across Europe (per The Hollywood Reporter) at a later date.
Emilia Clarke outside of Piece Halls right now on set of SECRET INVASION.(via: @intelligencyco) pic.twitter.com/MT7nfhbO4WJanuary 27, 2022
It’s possible that Secret Invasion could make its rumored late 2022 launch window. Filming has been ongoing for five months so, despite the ongoing pandemic, we suspect that there’s plenty of footage in the can. According to Marvel leaker Charles Murphy, filming is nearly done. Secret Invasion star Samuel L. Jackson has also revealed, via Instagram, that the show’s filming location recently switched to London, so it could be that principal photography is on the homestretch.
Even so, Secret Invasion will require a lengthy post-production process once filming wraps. That could take months, providing that reshoots aren’t necessary and other possible hitches don’t get in the way. If they do, we wouldn’t expect to see Secret Invasion released before early 2023. But we’d be happy if we’re proven wrong.
Secret Invasion cast
Secret Invasion cast: who is playing who?
Secret Invasion has a famous cast despite it being on the smaller side, but only three of those actors have official roles in proceedings so far:
- Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
- Ben Mendolsohn as Talos
- Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill
- Emilia Clarke as TBA
- Olivia Colman as TBA
- Kingsley Ben-Adir as TBA
- Killian Scott as TBA
- Christopher McDonald as TBA
- Carmen Ejogo as TBA
- Irina Kara as TBA
Jackson will reprise his role as ex-SHIELD director Nick Fury, a character he's played since 2008's Iron Man, in Secret Invasion. He was last seen in Spider-Man: Far From Home, where Fury was enjoying a vacation onboard a Skrull spaceship. It’s unclear how Secret Invasion ties into his last on-screen appearance, but we do know that he’ll be sporting a new look in the TV series. As we saw in Marvel’s Disney Plus Day show reel in November 2021, Fury will be sporting a gray beard and will no longer be wearing his eye patch:
Fury will be joined by Ben Mendolsohn’s Talos and Cobie Smulders’ Maria Hill. Talos was also seen in Far From Home, disguising himself as Fury to help Spider-Man stop Mysterio. Hill, meanwhile, hasn’t been in a Marvel project since Avengers: Endgame. Well, technically she hasn’t – Smulders ‘reprised’ her role as the ex-SHIELD deputy director in Far From Home, too. But, like Talos who was masquerading as Fury, she was being impersonated by Soren, Talos’ wife.
Other cast members’ roles are undisclosed, but there are plenty of rumors about who they’re playing.
Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) is reportedly playing a spy with powers (per Charles Murphy). Many fans believe she will portray Abigail Brand, the Commander of SWORD – a counter-terrorism organization that specifically deals with extra-terrestrial threats in the comics. In a chat with Entertainment Weekly, Clarke joked that she was “scared” of revealing anything about her character, before adding: "The first people I spoke to from Marvel were their security team and I am convinced that there is a man outside my house. There's been a car parked there for a long time, and I swear to God, he's undercover."
Oscar winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite, The Lost Daughter) is also said to be playing a “major player” with a “Fury-esque” presence. (per Charles Murphy). That description has fans buzzing that Colman may portray Veranke, queen of the Skrull Empire.
Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami) is rumored to be playing the series’ lead villain (per Deadline). There are no clues regarding his character’s identity, but Ben-Adir will reportedly play a Skrull who has risen through the empire’s ranks to be a prominent leader in its hierarchy. Not only that but, according to the Secret Invasion News Twitter fan account, he’ll physically go toe-to-toe with Jackson’s Fury at some point.
Kingslay Ben-Ad will go toe to toe with Sam Jackson. This is a major role on par with the two leads (Samuel L Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn).. He came up the ranks with SKRULL COMMANDING. pic.twitter.com/gDWlZxwDY0July 11, 2021
As for other supporting cast members, Christopher McDonald (Hacks, Happy Gilmore) is playing a Fox News-style anchor in the mould of Tucker Carlson (per Secret Invasion News). Killian Scott (Ripper Street, Love/Hate) will reportedly portray a Skrull called Fiz (via The Direct), while Carmen Ejogo (Fantastic Beasts, Your Honor) has been cast in an undisclosed role. Russian actor Irina Kara (Psycho) was also spotted on the Secret Invasion set (thanks to Reddit for the tip) but, again, nobody knows what her role entails.
Finally, one character who won’t be involved is Daisy Johnson/Quake, who was portrayed by Chloe Bennet in ABC’s Agents of SHIELD TV show – a series that has no ties to the MCU. Given Johnson’s prominent role in the Secret Invasion comic series, some fans wondered if Bennet’s Johnson may cross over into the MCU and be part of the show’s cast. Bennet has since denied her involvement in Secret Invasion in an Instagram story video (thanks to the Daily Bennet Twitter fan account for the catch).
Secret Invasion plot
Secret Invasion plot: what's the story about?
Here’s a brief synopsis taken from the show’s entry on the Disney Plus Originals website: “Secret Invasion is a newly announced series heading to Disney Plus. The crossover comic event series showcases a faction of shape-shifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating Earth for years.”
Not much to go on, then. One thing we do know, however, is that Secret Invasion’s live-action adaptation won’t be as large as the comics that inspired it. Chatting to ComicBook.com in January 2021, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed that Secret Invasion would be smaller in scope than the comics, adding: “There were more characters in the comic series than there were in Endgame so, no [it won’t be bigger in scope].”
Given the series’ major players, we’re expecting Secret Invasion to be a continuation of the story from Captain Marvel – released in March 2019 – and Spider-Man: Far From Home, the final Marvel Phase 3 flick that arrived in July 2019. Both movies involved the Skrulls to varying degrees, so it’s unsurprising that these two films act as the jumping-off point for Secret Invasion.
Interestingly, Secret Invasion was initially rumored to be in development as a movie, before it was turned into a Disney Plus series. Speaking to Collider in January 2021, Feige said the “political paranoia” of Secret Invasion was something Marvel had wanted to explore for a long time. Marvel’s head honcho went on to add: “We wanted to do a series because it would allow us to do something different than we’ve seen before.”
So it sounds like we’ll be getting an espionage thriller series in Secret Invasion in the mould of the Captain America: The Winter Soldier movie. That stands to reason, given that some of its cast are rumored to be playing spies. Expect plenty of action and explosions – which we suspect adversarial Skrulls will carry out – too, based on unofficial images and on-set videos that have been posted online.
Footage of the Explosion at the National Unity Day scene being shot that shows the aftermath hurting and endangering civilians. (via: @bishopluvbot) pic.twitter.com/qBtY1nGGTuJanuary 27, 2022
ome scenes shot in the UK may be acting as stand-ins for fictional Russian locations, too. Leaked photographs appear to show one set, at Leeds’ Piece Hall, being used as the backdrop for National Unity Day, an annual Russian public holiday. So Secret Invasion could be a globetrotting adventure – as well as an extra-terrestrial one – for Fury, Talos and company.
Piece Hall is Russia! pic.twitter.com/5DxgN5NKIWJanuary 25, 2022
Given the Skrulls’ ability to shapeshift, we could see other MCU characters make cameo appearances in Secret Invasion. The comic series revealed that some of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes were, in fact, Skrulls who had been masquerading as superheroes for years.
It sounds like this story thread could be carried over into the show. According to prominent Marvel leaker MyTimeToShineHello, there will be “some superheroes” who turn up in the series. Place your bets on who could appear. Finally, we know that Secret Invasion will comprise six episodes, which follows other MCU Disney Plus shows, including Loki and Moon Knight, in having six entries.
Secret Invasion trailer
Secret Invasion trailer: is there one?
No, and there won’t be for a long time. We’ll update this section when we receive one.
Secret Invasion: The MCU's future
Secret Invasion: how will it affect the MCU?
As mentioned, Secret Invasion will continue the storylines from Captain Marvel and Far From Home. It’ll also pick up events from WandaVision, which saw Monica Rambeau/Photon (Teyonah Parris) approached by a Skrull in the Disney Plus show’s finale. The unnamed Skrull told Rambeau that a friend of her mother wanted to meet Monica, and many fans have predicted that this “friend” is Nick Fury.
This plot point wasn’t resolved by the series’ end, so it’s possible that Rambeau could make a cameo appearance in Secret Invasion. We already know that Rambeau will have a major role to play in The Marvels alongside Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel, but it would be fun to see her turn up in Secret Invasion, too.
Secret Invasion should impact other future MCU projects as well. During Marvel’s presentation at Disney’s 2020 Investor Day (via Mashable), Feige revealed that Secret Invasion would tie directly into upcoming MCU movies. As we said, The Marvels may be one, but others including Ant-Man 3 and Fantastic Four could also be affected. Regardless, we’ll have to wait to see how much of an influence Secret Invasion has on the MCU.
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