The Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to be approaching a point of no return. Hardcore fans will defend every project, but criticism is mounting on all sides. Even the most beloved films are struck with backhanded compliments or compared to less well-received outings. Secret Invasion might not reverse the descent, but it could surprise fans and critics a lot just by showing a bit of restraint.
A decade ago, when Marvel's shared universe experiment was still somewhat novel, it was an impressive concept. The Avengers felt like an accomplishment. Infinity War felt like a monument to all they'd accomplished. Endgame felt like the triumphant end of an era. Today, everything leading into everything else has begun to feel less fun and more cynical.
What is Secret Invasion About?
Loosely adapted from Brian Michael Bendis' 2008 Marvel Comics run of the same name, Secret Invasion depicts the encroaching horror of a race of shape-shifters taking over the world. Nick Fury, Everett Ross, and Maria Hill work together to discover a conspiracy of Skrulls taking important positions in governments around the world. Nick Fury will have to struggle against the Skrulls, a race of refugees waiting for a new home. Secret Invasion seems to be working with a much darker tone than its fellow MCU series. It's a grim story about war orphans, broken promises, and the difficulties of wielding state power. It seems to have very little in common with the source material. It's the first entry in the MCU's fifth phase.
Secret Invasion Should Avoid Setting Up Other Stories
Fans are sick and tired of every Marvel project functioning as an advertisement for every other entry. The most ubiquitous complaint leveled at the MCU is that the narrative is spread across too many features. Hardcore fans might watch every film or show with the Marvel logo, but some people only want to know about a handful of characters. For a recent example, look at the Guardians of the Galaxy. Fans of James Gunn's trilogy have justifiable complaints about the way the characters were treated in Infinity War, Endgame, and Thor: Love and Thunder. Creative vision is far too often sacrificed to the larger goal of selling tickets based on cameos. There's a case to be made that this concept is common to comic books, in which writers can take over characters and storylines without warning, occasionally ruining beloved narratives. It's far less tolerable on the big screen.
Secret Invasion isn't a sequel to anything. It addresses narrative elements set up in Captain Marvel and will certainly feature elements from Spider-Man: Far From Home, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and many more MCU projects. It appears to be Nick Fury's story. At last, a character who has been an integral background element of over a dozen MCU projects gets a plotline to himself. As expected, it's a grim spy movie in which every character seems vengeful, remorseful, and miserable. That's a good pitch for a limited series, but it isn't a good venue for ads. Will anyone be able to take a mid-credits scene teasing The Marvels seriously when it comes after a gunfight with aggrieved refugees? Secret Invasion should be allowed to tell its own story without having to worry about teasing any future products.
A Clear and Definitive Ending Will Make the Story Better
One of the other major complaints about the cinematic universe format is that nothing ever ends. Many fans argue that the entire franchise should've taken a break after Endgame. Ramping up production the way they have has not assuaged those concerns. Most MCU projects conclude without a satisfying ending. It's a setup for the next project, a tease for a semi-related entry, or a payoff to an element that popped up years ago. Too many Marvel projects feel like they come to an end without any catharsis. Fans are used to credit sequences that inform them of their favorite heroes' upcoming appearances. Secret Invasion shouldn't end on a cliffhanger or leave its narrative to be resolved in a few years. It's a miniseries that will be much stronger with a self-contained ending. It'll be impossible to walk away satisfied with an ambiguous ending to this story.
Secret Invasion has a chance to shock fans by providing the bare minimum. A miniseries with no callbacks, teases, or gratuitous cameos. A show that tells a complete story that doesn't require too much supplemental material or extra research. Some fans love cameos and obscure lore details, but they seem to be losing their charm on all but the most devoted viewers. The mass audience used to love feeling like everything they watched was connected. Now that the magic has worn off, it primarily serves to remind viewers of just how much media is owned by a single handful of people. Secret Invasion can't fix the problems, but it can avoid falling into the most common pitfalls.