Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe can get swept up in Easter Eggs, and teases for upcoming stories that might happen in future Phases, that they sometimes overlook the simple fact that Marvel projects have outstanding actors making the most out of powerful dramatic material. Secret Invasion is one of the best Marvel TV shows available on Disney+ at the moment, and is a welcome respite from the Multiverse Saga that’s expanding in the movies. It’s a grounded spy thriller, similar in tone to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, that pits an aged Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) against shape-shifting Skrulls who have infiltrated positions of power around our planet. But the Secret Invasion cast is incredible, and Episode 2 of the show made great use of both Jackson and Don Cheadle in a spectacular scene.
Let me set the moment. As Secret Invasion got off to a start, Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) made it clear to Nick Fury that the Skrull infestation was much larger than S.H.I.E.L.D. realized or believed. And a young Skrull who Fury knew back in 1997, Granik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), was rebelling because he believed Fury broke a promise made to the Skrulls at a pivotal time. Only, Fury doesn’t have sway with the government anymore. First, he “dusted” away. And when he got back, he all but retreated to S.A.B.E.R., his floating space station in the Earth’s orbit.
So when Nick Fury is in Russia at the moment Gravik activates a devastating bomb, the nations of the world demand answers from the U.S. And Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes has to defend his friend one last time. But in a terrific face off between the acting powerhouses, Rhodes makes it clear that Fury has played every card with him, and burned all bridges. And it’s a magnificent two-hander scene between two of the best actors working in the MCU. So when I got the chance to interview the Secret Invasion cast, I asked Samuel L. Jackson about shooting that scene and working with Don Cheadle, and he lit up, telling us:
We’ve been waiting to do that for awhile. It was a joyous opportunity for us to finally be in something together that was written in a way that was so fulfilling that we embraced it fully, and gave it all the gravitas that we could possibly give it. … I’ve watched Don forever. We play golf together. We talk, and I’ve watched his other shows. I know Don’t a beast. And I know that when we are in that particular space together, there’s a mutual – not just respect – but love for what we do. Don comes from the same place that I come from. We’re essentially theater actors that have an opportunity to theatrically do things on screen in a toned down way. They’re always going to work and be fine.
We have come to associate these actors with their Marvel characters over the years. You can’t separate Robert Downey Jr. from Tony Stark, or even Sam Jackson from Nick Fury. But in scenes like this, easily one of my favorite from Secret Invasion so far, we are reminded of just how wonderful these actors are with the right material. If you aren’t watching Secret Invasion, you are missing out on some incredible work by Jackson, Cheadle, Kingsley-Adir, Olivia Coleman, Ben Mendelsohn, and Emilia Clarke. Tune in now, and watch as you wait for the other Upcoming Marvel Movies, like The Marvels and next year’s The Thunderbolts.
