Nick Fury actor Samuel L. Jackson revealed why the Avengers will not have a big role in the upcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion.
The MCU’s incoming “espionage thriller” will focus on Jackson’s longtime Marvel Studios character, living in a world that has been infiltrated by the shape-shifting aliens known as the Skrulls.
While not directly named as such, Secret Invasion will serve as a defacto solo series for Nick Fury in this super-powered universe. While Avengers characters like Don Cheadle’s Rhodey will make appearances, the series ultimately comes down to “giv[ing] Jackson more space to explore [his character].”
But given the level of threat the Skrulls seem to be, a lot of fans have wondered why Earth’s Mightiest Heroes would not step in to save the day.
The Avengers’ Reduced Role in Secret Invasion
The Avengers will not have a major role in the upcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion, and star Samuel L. Jackson revealed why.
In a recently released featurette (via USA Today) for the streaming show, the Nick Fury actor remarked that with his character having “lost whatever power he had before,” they tried to “solve things without being too superhuman:”
“Nick comes back having lost whatever power he had before, so we tried to solve things without being too superhuman.”
Jackson reiterated this sentiment in the latest issue of Empire Magazine, telling the outlet that in Secret Invasion, “[Nick]’s trying to solve a problem without people who have superpowers,” and “there’s a very good explanation for that.”
In the same featurette focused on the series, star Don Cheadle complimented getting to look “at the MCU through these different lenses:”
“Looking at the MCU through these different lenses, you get to see all these different sides of the characters, so we get to really sort of dig into who they are.”
Game of Thrones actor Emilia Clarke (who will make her MCU debut in the upcoming Disney+ series) and Marvel Studios veteran Cobie Smulders pointed to the “heart of the show” being “Who can you trust:”
Clarke: “This idea of ‘who can you trust?’ That is really the heart of the show.”
Smulders: “You could be talking to be somebody you have a very close relationship with and then you find out that that’s not who you thought it was.”
Why Are the Avengers Not Key to Secret Invasion?
There is no mention here that the Avengers will not be in Secret Invasion, but, surely, they will play some part in the shape-shifting happenings.
It has been teased the series has a great number of “people crossing over with each other,” so fans should expect cameos-a-plenty, but that does not mean these familiar faces will be key to overcoming the Skrull invasion.
As Emilia Clarke and Cobie Smulders brought up, this Nick Fury-focused adventure is all about “who can you trust?” and what happens when “you could be talking to be somebody you have a very close relationship with and then you find out that that’s not who you thought it was.”
It is this Skrull-induced paranoia and loss of power described by Samuel L. Jackson that makes the Avengers not playing a big role actually makes sense.
Perhaps Fury would feel comfortable sounding the super-powered claxons, but when he cannot 100% be sure he knows who he is calling, the only option for the former SHEILD director is to get his hands dirty and do it himself.
Secret Invasion will start its six-episode Disney+ on June 21.
