Critics: Samuel L. Jackson is great in the middling Secret Invasion

Secret Invasion, Marvel’s newest TV show, premieres on Disney+ next week. This one revolves around Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) as he tries to prevent a rebel group Skrulls — aliens who can change their appearance at will — from infiltrating the highest corridors on power on Earth.

Critics have now gotten their hands on the first two episodes of (of six). Is the show the next big Marvel smash, or another entry fans will forget in a few months time?

Well, again, we only have reviews for the first two episodes, but the general consensus seems to be that Secret Invasion is…fine. But let’s start with something most people can agree on:

Samuel L. Jackson is terrific in Secret Invasion

Even critics were so-so on the show as a whole praised Jackson’s performance as an older, more weathered Nick Fury. Here are some takes:

• ComicBookMovie.com: “In what can only be described as Jackson’s best turn as Fury yet, the actor brings a new level of pathos and solemnity to this comic book role that should see him emerge as a rightful frontrunner in every ‘Best Actor’ awards category months from now.”
• OffColour.org: “Samuel L. Jackson, always talented, but really giving it his all this go round. Jackson is allowed to play with Fury in a way we haven’t seen him before.”
• TV Line: “As Secret Invasion digs into Fury’s psyche, Jackson easily delivers his best MCU work ever.”

How is Emilia Clarke in Secret Invasion?

And we can’t forget that Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones) is in this show. She plays G’iah, one of the rebellious Skrull aliens. Variety had some thoughts on her:

"The casting of Emilia Clarke as a dangerously intense figure with conflicting impulses toward her own rise to power — the sort of role she played on “Game of Thrones” and was being set up to play by the end of vexed would-be franchise starter “Solo” — is hardly imaginative, but Clarke is good at her job and the kind of actor Marvel is lucky to get."

That is such a specific niche to get typecast in. Critics also singled out Oscar-winner Olivia Colman’s performance as a high-ranking MI6 agent as particularly good.

Some critics think Secret Invasion is riveting, surprising and mature

Let’s look at some more general reviews. Secret Invasion has a decent score on Rotten Tomatoes at the moment, with some critics outright liking it. For example:

• Consequence: Even under the weight of increasing Marvel fatigue, the surprises included in this, as well as the grounded storytelling, create a solid start to what could be a truly smart and relevant MCU installment, one unafraid to shake up the status quo.
• ScreenRant: “Director Ali Selim excels at bringing an old-fashioned sensibility to the series, stylizing Secret Invasion like a classic conspiracy thriller, albeit one with aliens.”
• Empire: As one of the MCU’s most mature projects to date, Secret Invasion is a riveting, tense drama that gifts its actors with weighty material and encourages its audience to look beyond the sheen of superheroism.

Most critics think Secret Invasion is middle-of-the-road

But like I said, most critics seem to be somewhere in the middle, with a lot of them giving out praise only with conditions. The Evening Standard gave a pretty detailed summation:

"[I]t’s fun enough. This is a Marvel show, after all, which means it’s a slick and polished affair that speeds along, throwing in Easter eggs and zingers with abandon for the fans to savour.It just all feels a little bit… tired. The action sequences have been done before; the disaffected revolutionaries have been done before (most recently in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier); hell, the threat of nuclear Armageddon has been done before, many times. Much like Fury himself, the Marvel train has been chugging along for years now. Maybe it’s time for a well-deserved retirement."

Some other so-so takes:

• ScreenRant: “In some ways, Secret Invasion gets off to a slow start. Luckily, it also sets up enough mysteries and character arcs to fuel audience interest and suggest this could be one of Marvel’s strongest Disney+ shows to date.”
• ComicBook.com: “Secret Invasion is absolutely fine. Action is few and far between as the set pieces remain some of Marvel’s smallest yet. Unfortunately, the first two episodes are unable to stand out from any other action-adventure streaming today.”

Some critics think Secret Invasion is tired, dull and uninspired

And some critics are just over it:

• Raising Whasians: It’s cold. It’s humorless. It’s almost super hero-less. Secret Invasion is not the Marvel television series powerhouse I was hoping to kick off Phase V.
• Midwest Film Journal: A watered-down, made-for-TV espionage thriller lacking both espionage and thrills. A real bummer.
• IndieWire: There are twists, but only die-hard fans will feel anything, and for a story without superheroes, there’s little done visually to make up for their absence.

Secret Invasion premieres next Wednesday, June 16, on Disney+.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels