At long last the MCU has returned to our small screens! That’s the Mendo Cinematic Universe, mind you, with Australian acting legend Ben Mendelsohn once again taking on the role of heroic Skrull leader Talos, who he first played in Captain Marvel. Also starring Samuel L. Jackson, Secret Invasion is now streaming in New Zealand exclusively on Disney+.
Okay, it’s actually Sam Jackson in the lead, reprising the role of super-secret agent Nick Fury, who uncovers evidence that a faction of the shapeshifting alien Skrulls have infiltrated human society with plans to take over the world and strip it of its resources. Not knowing who to trust, he recruits a small team of allies, including Mendo, Cobie Smulders’ Maria Hill, Martin Freeman’s Everett K. Ross, and Don Cheadle’s Rhodey to help uncover the conspiracy.
But can any of them be trusted? That’s the question…
Also starring Emilia Clarke as G’iah, Talos’ now-grown daughter, Olivia Colman as MI6 Agent Sonya Falworth, and Kingsley Ben-Adir as renegade Skrull leader Gravik, Secret Invasion is more espionage thriller than superhero spectacular, but that’s territory the MUC has dabbled in before with the likes of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Black Widow.
With its story centred on radical elements within a displaced refugee community, it smacks of post-9/11 political paranoia, which may prove to be a difficult needle to thread. And besides, since Fury and Captain Marvel vowed to help the Skrulls all the way back in the ‘90s, maybe Gravik and the gang have some credible grievances to air?
In any case, it’s going to be fun to see sneaky cyclops Nicholas J. Fury front and centre for a change, and some cloak ‘n’ dagger action might be a welcome respite from the more cosmic-scale superhero shenanigans we’re regularly subjected to. The Secret Invasion has begun! Are you ready?
