A new Secret Invasion trailer is finally here! Marvel released the new trailer during Sunday Night Baseball, to the delight of fans everywhere. The trailer gives us more insight into the MCU’s espionage thriller starring Samuel L. Jackson. There are lots of details to parse through, so let’s dive in!
Secret Invasion was first announced by Marvel Studios in December 2020 during Disney’s Investor Day. Since then, fans eagerly have anticipated any details and information about the show. During Disney’s D23 event in September 2022, the first trailer was released, giving us a tease of the show’s darker tone and a glimpse at some of the characters who will appear. The show was originally set to release in Spring 2023.
We have come a long way! After a couple delays and no official news for a while, we now have a new trailer and an official release date of June 21.
What is the plot of Secret Invasion?
The official synopsis for Secret Invasion, based on the Marvel Comics event of the same name, is as follows:
“Set in the present-day MCU, Fury learns of a clandestine invasion of Earth by a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls. Fury joins his allies, including Everett Ross, Maria Hill, and the Skrull Talos, who has made a life for himself on Earth. Together they race against time to thwart an imminent Skrull invasion and save humanity.”
Marvel.com
Secret Invasion is the first Disney+ show of Phase 5 of the MCU, and will mark Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Maria Hill’s (Cobie Smulders) return to the screen for the first time since Spider-Man: Far From Home.
The newest Secret Invasion trailer
The latest Secret Invasion trailer clocks in at two minutes and opens with a chilling shot of Nick Fury walking with a gun in his hand to a voice-over of Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) who warns Fury, “since you’ve been gone, things have gotten much worse.” Fury has been off-world presumably since Avengers: Endgame (or possibly before that) and it is clear he is only returning to Earth because the situation with the Skrulls has become dire.
The show is billed as a crossover event, bringing in the MCU’s big political players. In the Secret Invasion trailer, we see Maria Hill, Everett Ross (Martin Freeman), and James Rhodes a.k.a. War Machine (Don Cheadle) show up. Along with Talos, they will presumably be the main players who help Fury fight the radicalized Skrulls.
We also get a closer look at Olivia Colman‘s character, MI6 agent Sonya Falsworth. Her likely motive is to protect the national security interests of the UK during this crisis, but she appears to be an antagonist. This begs the question—while Secret Invasion seems to be a more grounded MCU story, how far-reaching is the Skrull invasion? Have the Skrulls infiltrated governments across the world?
The Secret Invasion trailer brings back the Department of Damage Control
One thing that stands out from the Secret Invasion trailer is the brief tease of the Department of Damage Control (DODC), a mainstay federal organization in the MCU. In a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, the trailer shows someone opening a briefcase that seems to contain scientific samples from a lab. The briefcase has a DODC logo on it. Most recently, we’ve seen the DODC pop up in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk.
In the aforementioned projects, the DODC’s focus has shifted from cleaning up debris after fights, to monitoring enhanced individuals within the MCU, which likely includes Skrulls. However, the mystery lies in their motivation. It’s unlikely that their appearance in so many Phase 4 projects is coincidental, and we don’t yet know how deep the Skrull invasion is.
Therefore, it stands to reason that the Skrulls have infiltrated various governmental organizations, including the DODC. Perhaps they want to gain access to the DODC’s records on various enhanced individuals? Fans have already speculated that Agent Cleary (Arian Moayed), who appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Ms. Marvel, could be a Skrull.
What is going on with Nick Fury in Secret Invasion?
Another eyebrow-raising moment in the Secret Invasion trailer comes when Nick Fury and Sonya Falsworth walk through a cemetery. The camera pans over a headstone depicting “Col. Nicholas J. Fury.”
The last time we see Fury’s headstone is at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, after Fury fakes his death. However, there are noticeable differences on the headstone in the Secret Invasion trailer—namely a different quote and the lack of an American flag.
We also see Fury appear with various different looks in the trailer—sometime with his eye patch, sometimes without, and once with just glasses. This raises questions on whether we may get different versions of Nick Fury in Secret Invasion, or whether he is actually a Skrull in disguise during the show.
Did the Secret Invasion trailer reveal a Super-Skrull?
The Secret Invasion trailer reveals a closer look at the show’s main antagonist, Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir). Gravik is reportedly the leader of the group of Skrull extremists who invade Earth.
Towards the end of the trailer, during a fight scene, Gravik stretches out his arms similarly to the Guardians of the Galaxy character, Groot. Normal Skrulls do not have these kinds of abilities, raising the possibility that Gravik is a Super-Skrull.
According to Marvel.com, Super-Skrulls can shape-shift like other Skrulls, but they also have heightened superpowers. In the comics, one Super-Skrull, KI’rt, bestows himself with the powers of The Fantastic Four. Perhaps one of the main threats in Secret Invasion could be centered around Gravik attempting to create an army of Super-Skrulls.
What should we expect from Secret Invasion?
Six long months have passed since She-Hulk ended, and by the time June rolls around, it will be eight. Many fans are ready for new Disney+ content, and Secret Invasion is high on their list of most-anticipated projects. Based on the trailer, it is likely to live up to fans’ expectations.
The newest Secret Invasion trailer emphasizes the dark feel from the first trailer, promising a paranoid, espionage thriller similar in tone to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The trailer gives us a closer look at new and returning characters, without revealing too much. The premise of the show is exciting and will likely lead to extensive discourse and theories week-to-week on which characters are Skrulls in disguise.
Everything is not as it seems in Secret Invasion, and the trailer raises more questions as to who is an ally and who is an enemy. The biggest question you will need to ask going into this show is: who can you trust?
Secret Invasion is set to release on Disney+ June 21, 2023. Stay tuned to the Agents of Fandom socials for the latest Marvel news.
