Secret Invasion is right around the corner, awaiting its debut on Disney Plus next month, and marks the ninth television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe alongside 32 films and counting, two specials, and a raft of other exclusives.
Game of Thrones alum Emilia Clarke makes her MCU debut in Secret Invasion, playing the role of G’iah, daughter of Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos. Though the elements of the show can be traced back to Captain Marvel, Clarke told Empire (via ComicBook) that even those new to the franchise would love the show without being completely thorough with the rest of the continuity.
“It’s definitely a show for the fans, but it’s also a show that my mum, who doesn’t watch Marvel, will watch and get, do you know what I mean. You can get into dangerous territory sometimes with this sort of genre where if you haven’t watched all 17 other films or shows, you’re not going to get it. This isn’t that at all.”
Secret Invasion is indeed taking a different route than other MCU productions. It’s labeled as a spy-espionage thriller set within the superhero saga, while director Ali Selim claims Secret Invasion will be the darkest and grittiest Marvel entry to date, treading upon noir tropes .
In the series, Nick Fury returns to Earth after years of setting up a defense system for the planet in space. He learns of an espionage invasion by a faction of shape-shifting Skrulls, leading him to unite with Talos and Maria Hill to bring down the threat. The part where Fury has been away and Talos has taken his place on Earth was revealed in Spider-Man: Far From Home, meaning the show will be a continuation to multiple MCU productions altogether, and yet will still tell an original story.
Clarke’s debutant would embody the conflict between Earth and Skrulls, wherein she will express her own rationale for Skrulls’ unison with the humans. G’iah has previously appeared as a child in Captain Marvel.
Secret Invasion will begin streaming on June 21 on Disney Plus. It will be followed by five more weekly episodes, winding up the six-episode miniseries.